Meet Sizwe, Rainbow Railroad's Policy Officer.
Sizwe is a trans woman with roots in both East and Southern Africa — an Afropolitan, a newcomer, and a settler living in Toronto on Turtle Island. About ten years ago, she was offered the opportunity to study in Canada, a place often colloquially referred to in Kirundi, her mother tongue, as mumahanga — literally, “a world away from our own.”
Sizwe was one of the lucky few to access this opportunity. But building a life in Canada was not simple. After surviving her third Canadian winter, she had hoped to feel fully nestled in her new home. Instead, she found herself struggling to find her footing — particularly in Ottawa, where there were limited support services for LGBTQI+ asylum seekers, newcomers and refugees.
Navigating the intersection of race, immigration status and queerness made it difficult for Sizwe to feel like she truly belonged. This struggle became the spark for her advocacy journey. Enraged by inequality and stark disparities in care for members of her community, she began speaking out.
By connecting with local queer groups and informal networks of queer newcomers, Sizwe discovered the power of storytelling as a tool for visibility, resistance and systemic change. “I honed my storytelling skills to speak out against oppressive systems that actively impede pathways to safer integration, as well as amplify untold stories of those who struggle to access adequate and equitable care due to their sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression.”
Before joining Rainbow Railroad, Sizwe led the Positive Spaces Initiative at the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, where she worked to create national LGBTQIA+ guidelines to ensure barrier-free settlement services for queer and trans newcomers. “As a Burundian woman of trans experience, I never imagined I’d be at the forefront of building organizational capacity across the immigrant and refugee sector to better serve gender- and sexually-diverse communities,” she says. “It’s been a journey and I’m proud of the progress the queer movement has made.”
Building Pathways Through Policy
Today, Sizwe serves as a Policy Officer at Rainbow Railroad. “My core responsibility is to find creative ways to generate advocacy opportunities that allow the organization to actively intervene in carving out safer pathways for forcibly displaced LGBTQI+ people,” she explains.
She works closely with local LGBTQI+ partners and human rights defenders, using their insights to inform Rainbow Railroad’s global advocacy. “It is through this collaborative, grounded approach that Rainbow Railroad is able to leverage its international credibility, as an ECOSOC-accredited organization, to stand as a global advocate.”
Sizwe also supports the Queer Forced Displacement Initiative, analyzing data from consultations across five key transit countries. “This allows me to analyze broader systemic patterns, identify trends and drivers shaping LGBTQI+ forced displacement, and track shifts in protection frameworks, all of which directly inform and strengthen our advocacy efforts.”
Working at Rainbow Railroad has been transformative. “It has taught me how to find my voice. As a trans woman, finding your voice — the act of learning how to name and communicate your needs — is, for me, a powerful form of advocacy. Through Rainbow Railroad’s programs, I’ve witnessed how vision can become reality — how bold ideas are transformed into concrete action. I’m learning what it means to build not just in theory, but in practice.”
Sizwe doesn’t shy away from naming the challenges of her work. “Admitting that we can’t always help, that we’re not always in the right mind space to show up for others, is a necessary act of honesty. Sometimes, the most compassionate thing we can offer is spaciousness: the willingness to pause, to acknowledge our limits, and to create room for change to emerge.”
Even on the most difficult days, Sizwe finds strength. “I’m a deeply spiritual person, and I often lean on my ancestors to carry me through the hard days. Their presence grounds me. I also return, time and again, to a quote by Toni Morrison that helps me center myself: ‘It’s not possible to constantly hold onto crisis. You have to have the love, and you have to have the magic — that’s also life.’ The magic in resistance lies in love and joy.”
From Lived Experience to Global Impact
One of the most meaningful moments of Sizwe's career came in June 2025, when Rainbow Railroad stood alongside Graeme Reid, the United Nations Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, for the release of his landmark report on LGBTQI+ forced displacement during the 59th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“It was a powerful affirmation of why this work matters,” Sizwe reflects. “I’ve felt deeply privileged to amplify Rainbow Railroad’s mission, especially in spaces where our partners’ voices need to be heard most.”
What excites her most is transforming data into narratives that drive change. “Being able to write and conduct research on issues affecting LGBTQI+ people in mobility has been deeply meaningful. It not only allows me to design responsive strategies, but also prompts critical questions: What will the experiences of forcibly displaced people look like five years from now? How must our work evolve to meet that future?”
A Call to Collective Action
Sizwe believes deeply in the power of community to create change. “Our work at Rainbow Railroad is deeply interconnected to world issues, and it’s important to be an active participant in shaping the world you want to see in the future,” she says. “At its core, our work is about creating pathways to refuge for LGBTQI+ refugees.”
For Sizwe, this work is part of a larger struggle — and a much larger hope.
“We are at a pivotal moment where our rights to exist are in constant regression,” she reflects. “Actors across sectors can no longer afford to work in silos. We’ve arrived at a bridging point, a recognition that our struggles, our work, and our futures are deeply interconnected and intertwined. It’s no longer just about individual impact, but about collective momentum. Together, as an LGBTQI+ movement, we are building safeguards, laying the groundwork for a future we would like to experience.”
And in the face of unrelenting crises, Sizwe is intentional about keeping perspective: “We work in a system where we are constantly asked to show up, to intervene, to respond. Amongst all of this, it’s easy to lose sight of ourselves. But even in moments of exhaustion or defeat, it’s essential to remember: we are all doing our best. I always have to remind myself that I, and the people I work with, are enough. Everyone’s presence, care and effort matter. And that, in itself, is worthy.”
Sizwe's work reminds us that change begins in community. Join our community of supporters — donate today to help carve new pathways to safety for LGBTQI+ people at risk, or volunteer your time and skills to stand in solidarity with those seeking refuge.