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Tendai Rupapa in BULAWAYO

PEOPLE living with albinism experience a lot of challenges which include being discriminated against by members of their communities and having to contend with derogatory remarks from people.

Albinism is a condition that leads to someone having very light skin, hair, and eyes. According to experts, this happens when a person has less melanin than usual in their body. 

Because of lack of melanin in their skin, they are at increased risk of getting sunburnt and skin cancer, hence they require sunscreen lotions.

Except for eyesight problems, most people with albinism are just as healthy as anyone else.

In some African countries, fortune-seekers reportedly harvest their body parts for ritual purposes in the mistaken belief that doing so enhances their access to riches. Luckily, the same does not obtain in Zimbabwe.

First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa through her Angel of Hope Foundation, is speaking out against such destructive beliefs and superstitious practices that endanger the lives of those living with albinism.

Amai Mnangagwa is calling upon everyone to uphold the principle of living in harmony, love and unity with persons with albinism. 

Yesterday, the mother of the nation, who has a passion for the welfare of all the country’s citizenry, met with people with albinism in Bulawayo and gave them food hampers, toiletries, sunscreen lotions and sun hats.

Mr Albinism Zimbabwe 2021, Leeroy Gondo was grateful to the First Lady for her benevolence.

“We would like to thank this kind gesture by the First Lady of donating sunscreens and food hampers to us. Albinism remains a misunderstood condition and people with albinism are often subjected to neglect, stigma and discrimination. 

“However, it is a different case with our mother, she loves and embraces us. She does not discriminate neither is she selective. She is a mother to all and we love her,” he said.

He said the sunscreen donation would come in handy, especially this time when the country is experiencing hot temperatures.

“When you have sunscreen lotion, you can be outside and do whatever activities you will be doing which is a benefit to us,” he said.

Ms Egenia Muvirimi, who also lives with the condition, said she was grateful to the mother of the nation for remembering them.

“She has given us sunscreen lotions which is very important to us. Today we will also put food on our tables and feed our children because our mother has given us all the basic commodities that include mealie-meal, cooking oil, sugar, rice and sugar beans among other food items. She always remembers all her children,” she said.

The views were shared by Mr Marvern Mutsipa who said: “I am thankful for what Amai has done for us. She has a kind heart. In the communities that we live, we are looked down upon but we are the same and we must not be mocked. We must love each other and not be separated by skin colour.

“Albinism does not mean that one is not a human being. Albinism or no albinism we are all human beings. We are all the same, made in the image of God. We are glad that our mother is sowing the seeds of love and unity amongst us as Zimbabweans,” he said.

Ms Cynthia Murombo expressed gratitude to the mother of the nation for not being selective.

“I would want to thank Amai Mnangagwa because of the good things that she has done for us today and that she has always been doing. Most people do not want to interact with people that have albinism. 

“There are people who will not share even a cup with us and we have learnt to live with that. However, Amai is not selective and loves us as we are,” she said.

In a speech read on her behalf by Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube, the First Lady said it was critical for all members of society to live in harmony.

“I am therefore calling upon all of us to uphold the principle of living in harmony and unity with persons with albinism, a spirit which enables us to love, protect and support persons with albinism including our children with albinism and their families.

“I am proud to say that in Zimbabwe the historical traditional family practice of slaying children with albinism at birth has since stopped. But I am saddened by the fact that some husbands still divorce their wives on the grounds that they have given birth to a child or children with albinism. In any case, to have albinism does not mean that one is not a human being,” she said. 

The mother of the nation said although albinism cannot be cured, children with albinism could live normal lives if measures were taken to improve their eyesight and if measures were also taken to enable them to avoid too much exposure to the sun.

“I therefore say to parents of children with albinism, do not be influenced by superstitious beliefs that may discourage you from supporting our children with albinism. Let us all make efforts to ensure that our children with albinism do not drop out of school. Let us support our children with albinism so that just like other children, they can develop to their full potential.”

The First Lady implored teachers in all schools to understand disability and offer the right support to children with albinism.

She said some teachers forced some children with the condition to sit at the back yet they struggled to see what was written on the board from a distance.

“Let us desist from such marginalisation of children with albinism in classrooms,” she said.