Communities need positive sensitisation on albinism
What you need to know:
- It is important to note that a child with albinism is able to flourish like any other child. They can achieve the same education and employment as a person without this condition.
The story carried in Daily Monitor of February 6 about building a centre and a hostel for albinos, reminds me of the stories during Jesus’ time about the lepers who were segregated.
The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga launched a campaign to fundraise for the construction of a one-stop centre for the albino community in Uganda. Once completed, the centre will have administrative block, a medical facility, a vocational training centre, as well as an ICT centre and hostels for the albinos and volunteers. The Speaker also faulted government for the absence of an enabling policy for the albino community despite the challenges they face. The Speaker wanted a ring-fenced facility for the albinos. Ms Olivia Namutebi, an albino welcomed the idea, saying the centre would provide shelter for the many albinos who have been sent away from their homes.
Unlike leprosy, albinism is a genetic disorder caused by a mutation of one of the several genes. Where both parents carry the albino gene, there is a one in four chance that their offspring will have albinism and a one in two chance that their offspring will become a carrier (meaning without symptoms). So it means that in a community we have many carriers. Because the condition is generic, it has no cure. It is comforting to learn that new findings by anthropologists led by American Association of Anthropologists (AAA), during their 84th annual meeting reported by Ann Gibbons April 2015, tell us that the Whites are actually descendants of albino Africans; they are genetic mutants who were forced to move out of Africa because of their sensitive eyes and skin to the sun. Albinism evolved into the White race we see today in Europe. Genetic Scientists tell us that light skin, eyes and hair are recessive traits while dark eyes, hair and skin are dominant traits. Other documents also say that the humans who came out of Africa to settle in Europe about 40,000 years ago had dark skin and the white skin only developed 8,000 years ago. These revelations are contrary to the Ape-African revolutionary theory preached earlier.
It is sad to note that in Tanzania and Burundi people use albino bodies for witchcraft. It has even become a business to get their parts for money. In Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Malawi and may be other African countries, there is a belief that having sex with an albino woman, cures Aids, and this belief has led to murder, rape and the spread of HIV/Aids. There is nothing wrong in having albino appearance, it is God’s plan for which we have no control.
Every life is sacred and therefore it should be integrated in the family, society without intimidation or discrimination. People who suffer from generic conditions should not be isolated from their families or societies in which they live. It is important to note that a child with albinism is able to flourish like any other child. They can achieve the same education and employment as a person without this condition. Separating them will cause alienation and lack of social interaction. Children, when they grow together in a family, discover each other: sex differences, others perhaps often sickly, and depending on how the parents take it, they learn to live together and share the difficulties in a positive way.
What Uganda needs is a national positive programme to sensitise the community about the albinos. The programme should have the correct information and knowledge which will make people recognise albinos as normal people with equal rights, feelings and needs and highly capable if given the same chances in a friendly and supportive manner. They should not be made self-conscious about themselves because that is how isolation begins. Unacceptance by family members, especially parents, affects them.
Other children will call them names and this will affect their schooling and eventually drop off. Teachers, therefore, must play their part by treating every child equally and to be on the lookout for children who intimidate others. People generally must accept the albinos. I do not think that they should be taken to schools of disabilities.
Dr Okoth is a concerned citizen. [email protected]
