Southern Highlands Youth Initiatives (SHYI) was established in mid-2016 by a determined group of sexual minority youth in the Southern Highlands region of Tanzania. The organization's primary goal is to address the various challenges faced by sexual minority youth in the area. By November 22, 2016, SHYI successfully obtained registration as a youth NGO from the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly, and Children (MoHCDEC).