By Wamundila Waliuya
I feel a strong chill up my spine. A strong shiver down my feet. I
feel tears in my eyes. My stomach just suddenly goes rumbling just like the
strong African drums. I hear a strong eerie sound in my ears. I am sweating.
Why? Persons with albinism are being threatened for extinction! Seriously sad
and uncalled for.
I write this article as part of the commemoration of the
“International Albinism Awareness Day” which falls on 13th June,
2016. While in the state of feeling all the strange chills, I am delighted that
different governments in Africa agreed to recognise this day and actually go
ahead to financially promote the day. It is important to realise that the
condition of albinism is a simple condition of the absence of a colouring
pigmentation of the skin, eyes and hair.
The pigment is called melanin.
The pigment, melanin protects the body of any human being from the
effects of rays called ultra-violet rays from penetrating the skin into the
body. These rays may cause some cancer. This is why persons with albinism may
be seen with rough skins, dark dots on their skins and breaking or bleeding
lips. It is a purely biological condition. The colour of the skin is not in any
way associated to any spiritual or religious matters. Persons with albinism are
born with the condition because their parents carry biological information on
albinism. Such biological information is referred to as genetically passed information.
Genetically passed information is passed over to offsprings by the parents.
Therefore, albinism is passed over to the children by their parents. It is not
a spiritual creation. No!
Persons with albinism are purely human. They are born just like any
other human being. They grow and live just like any other human being. They die
just like any other person. Persons with albinism get ill and die in the way
the rest of human nature gets ill and dies. The myth of persons with albinism
disappearing to no way instead of dying is a serious traditional misplacement
in reality, fact and truth. Persons with albinism live die and get buried just
like any other human being. They are just human beings. Nothing extra about
them. The colour of their skin is biological not spiritual!
Do we realise that the naming of persons with albinism and
“objects” created by God creates the unnecessary stigma, discrimination and
threat of the life of these individuals? Nomenclature, especially in our
African traditional language raises uncertainty on whether persons with
albinism are natural humans. This contributes to the threat to the right to
effective participation in socio-economic activities like education,
employment, sports, family life, health and politics. I tend to interact with
the associations of persons with albinism in the Southern African region. The
President of the Association of Persons with Albinism in Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) disclosed that persons with albinism where being killed or abducted
to enhance political influence by politicians. He said, “Politicians are
killing persons with albinism in order to use their parts to win elections”.
Obviously any part of the body of a person with a disability can never assist a
person to win elections. Never!
The President of the association of persons with albinism in
Swaziland told me that “discrimination begins from the family and it is spread
to the community. So, change must begin from the family.” The persons with
albinism movement in Zambia praised government in for recognizing the 13 June Albinism
Day and called for the protection of their freedom to movement and life. It is
interesting that the President of Malawi has acknowledged the killing, abducting
or threat to life of persons with albinism as a national problem. This is
encouraging. When Presidents speak people listen. It is now the responsibility
of the Presidents of the different countries in Africa to explain what albinism
is. The Presidents must with express and immediate urgency order appropriate Ministries
to put in place legislative and administrative measures to protect the rights
of persons with albinism to life. Public institutions should also put in place strategies
for awareness raising on issues around albinism. Furthermore, States should
ensure that associations of persons with albinism are economically and
technically equipped to carry out vigorous awareness raising campaigns on
albinism. Traditional leaders and healers should also be engaged to understand
the realities of albinism. Parents of children with albinism face fear and
trauma because of the threat on the lives of their children. States should put
in place measures to manage the pre-victimasation, victimization and
post-victimisation situations they undergo. The mass media should take broad
steps to positively create awareness on the reality and facts around albinism. It
is also the responsibility of faith based organisations to preach the human
nature of persons with albinism. The message should be that ‘albinism is not a
spiritual creation, but a biological condition’. This call should attract
immediate attention.
The issue of mutilating, abduction and murdering persons with
albinism is a threat to their right to life; liberty and security of person;
freedom of movement; respect for inherent dignity; health; independent living
and being included within the community; employment; social protection; education;
family life, sports, culture and recreation; freedom of association and
expression; and protection against inhuman and degrading treatment. It also
diminishes the right of persons with albinism to the right to mental and
physical integrity. The matter violates the right of persons with albinism to
protection from abuse, exploitation and violence. This is occurring in circumstances
where many African countries have signed and ratified international human
rights instruments which promote and protect the rights of all people including
persons with albinism. The matter of equal protection before the law is
seriously abrogated! The matter of equal recognition as persons before the law
is also seriously being violated. Persons with albinism are persons before the
law everywhere and in all aspects of life. Nothing is magical about their skin
colour. Nothing at all! Reminder. You never know that you are carrying the
albinism gene until you sexually meet and conceive with another person with the
albinism gene. So, it is the responsibility of every human being to promote the
rights of persons with albinism and de-mystify it. The African States must take
the lead and carry the leadership. African Union, where are you over this
issue? The EU must carry the flag against the mutilation, abduction and murder
of persons with albinism. The matter should be treated as a matter which threatens
socio-economic development. States usually undermine issues that affect the
so-called minority groups. Persons with albinism may be considered as being few
in most African counties but they contribute immensely to the socio-economic
development of their countries. Many of them are teachers, medical doctors,
lawyers, economists, and entrepreneurs. Many more are activists, musicians and
academicians. Why should we deliberately ignore this mass of developmental
cadres? Protection of the rights of persons with albinism fully lies on the
States. Civil society should compliment the leadership of the State. By the
way, the State comprises the executive, judiciary and legislature. Each one of
these wings carries fully responsibility in ensuring the effective protection
of the rights and fundamental freedoms of person with albinism.
It is important at this juncture to highlight myths with needs to
be thrown out of the minds of individuals and the perimeters of the communities.
Deliberately, I have4 thought of addressing the myths because of the strong
belief in the myths I have come across during my advocacy community work. Some
of the myths are already addressed in my paper but will be referred to here:
i)
Persons with albinism are not
a strange creation of God. They are a creation of what ever created the rest of
nature.
ii)
The colour of persons with
albinism does not signify gold color of ritual colour. It is the absence of
melanin. Melanin is a pigment which gives the skin the ‘black’ colour.
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