Dangers for persons with albinism
on A Serendipitous Journey (Kenya), 20/Aug/2010 08:55, 34 days ago
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In January 2009, I blogged aboutalbinism in East Africa, a genetic condition characterized by lack of pigment melanin in the skin, hair and eyes. I have worked closely with many persons with albinism over the past two years at the Kenya Union of the Blind, as they often have visual impairments.People who are born with albinism in Africa face countless social, economic and health challenges. In addition to health issues including low vision and skin damage from the sun, they are also discriminated against in the workplace and in society. Worse, witchdoctors in Africa have sold body parts of persons with albinism claiming they cure numerous ailments or provide instant wealth. The most recent case took place in June where Robinson Mkwama, a 20 year old Kenyan man with Albinism who was working as a security guard, was lured across the Kenya– Tanzania border by a so-called friend who was promising him a new job opportunity. In reality, this man was intending to sell Mr. Mkwama for Ksh 22 million (more than Cdn$300,000) for witchcraft in Tanzania. The abductor, Nathan Mutei, has since been sentenced to more than 17 years of prison. For centuries human body parts have been used as ingredients for witchcraft. In 2008, it was reported that 38 persons with albinism were murdered in Tanzania. The killings are blamed on ignorance, poverty, greed for money and power, and the quest to overcome diseases like HIV /AIDS.(1) Civil society organizations including the Albinism Society of Kenya and the National Council for Persons with Disabilities and governments alike are trying to create awareness campaigns to dispel these myths and create safer and more secure environments for persons with albinism. Clearly, they have a large task still ahead of them to dispel these myths and create safe environments for those with albinism in East Africa. (1) Daily Nation. “Our biggest fear is living”. DN2 Daily Kenya Living. Pages 2 and 3. Friday August 20, 2010
