In April, we shared an update on the early foundations of TransStories Brasília, one of the projects supported through our Community Impact Fund. At the time, Sama Sama International had begun building partnerships, designing the training structure and raising the funds required to bring the first phase of the project to life.

Seven months on, during Trans Awareness Week, we are returning with an update that reflects how much has happened since then. This next chapter has been guided by the leadership of Sama Sama’s founder and CEO, Jayni Gudka, and by the strength, honesty and courage of the women she is working alongside in Brasília.

Brazil remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be trans. According to ANTRA, a trans person loses their life to violence every two days. It is in this reality that five women stepped forward to take part in a co-created training programme that asked them to trust an unfamiliar process and to believe that their stories deserved to be heard.

Beginning with Caution and Building Trust

When Jayni arrived in Brasília to begin the first stage of the project, she met with five trans women. Lorraine, Amanda, Bebel, Layla and Nathalia represented a wide range of ages and experiences. Many had faced violence, exclusion from the job market and deep social marginalisation. Several had participated in training initiatives before, but rarely with opportunities that followed.

Their hesitancy was understandable. Trust had to be earned.

Over seven weeks, Jayni and her team worked slowly and with care. They began with a baseline study to understand the women’s lived experiences, their hopes for the project and what support they felt they needed. Together, they discussed the stories that mattered most to them and set boundaries around what felt safe to share. The process was entirely collaborative. The women led the conversations that informed the direction, content and intention of the programme.

One participant shared that much of her life had involved experiences that felt dehumanising. This project helped her reclaim something she had feared was lost. She felt safe enough to speak honestly and supported by a community that would not disappear once the sessions ended.

A New Way of Understanding Brasília

As the group grew in confidence, they began exploring what a community led tourism experience could look like when rooted entirely in lived experience.

They visited Brasília’s national monuments for the first time. They joined guided tours to understand what a visitor feels. Sama Sama invited local LGBTQIA+ historians to share stories that added context and depth to the women’s personal histories.

The stories that emerged offered a different understanding of Brasília. These included the cost of wigs and what that reveals about economic exclusion. They spoke about being turned away from salons and the creation of safehouses where trans women helped one another prepare before nights out. They described the city’s iconic clubs during the dictatorship period and the language of Pajubá, rooted in African heritage, used to protect and connect their community.

These are stories that have always belonged to the city but have rarely been recognised as part of its cultural identity.

Sharing the First Iteration of the Tour

At the end of this phase, Jayni and the group invited Embratur, the Ministry of Tourism, representatives from local government, NGOs and members of the media to join an early version of the tour. For a community that has often been erased from public narratives, being seen and listened to in this way carries real weight.

Local radio, television and print outlets reported on the project. This visibility reinforced that the experiences of trans women in Brasília are culturally significant and deserve space within the city’s storytelling.

This phase would not have been possible without Casa Rosa. Coordinator Pedro Matias and founder Flávio Fleury provided essential support, community knowledge and the safe environment required for the women to participate fully.

The Community Impact Fund Grant

We are proud to have supported this project for the past two years through our Community Impact Fund, which supports community- led initiatives that use tourism to improve access to opportunity, wellbeing and economic security. The fund exists to support the people and organisations who are doing the work on the ground.

The grant enabled Sama Sama to begin the first phase of training in Brasília, and our community helped amplify their crowdfunding campaign. Members of our network opened doors, offered advice and connected Sama Sama with people who could strengthen the project. Our role is to stand behind the organisations leading this work, and to help ensure their stories and achievements are heard.

To learn more about the Community Impact Fund and explore the full list of projects we are supporting, visit our philanthropy page.

Looking Ahead

The energy and commitment shown by the participants has set a strong foundation for what comes next. Sama Sama is now focusing on:

• Formally launching the tour in Brasília

• Hiring a part time local coordinator to support and manage the work on the ground

• Developing scholarships for trainees to gain official tour guide accreditation

• Responding to requests from other communities and organisations who want to adapt the model in their own regions

• Exploring early opportunities in other Brazilian cities and in parts of Asia where similar needs exist

The long term vision is to see communities who have been historically excluded for generations take the lead in telling their own stories, build income generating opportunities and find connection through storytelling and shared experience.

A Closing Reflection for Trans Awareness Week

Sharing this update during Trans Awareness Week matters. The stories at the heart of this project belong to women who have often been denied safety, visibility and opportunity. Their leadership, honesty and creativity show what becomes possible when communities are trusted to guide their own narratives.

As this work moves toward the launch of the first TransStories Brasília tour, we invite our community to follow the project, share it with others and continue supporting the people and partners who are driving change every day. And if you, your clients or anyone you know is visiting Brasilia, we encourage you to reach out to Jayni and the team and join one of these pioneering tours of the city. With continued encouragement and collaboration, this model has the potential to open new pathways for other communities around the world.