SUPPORTERS of people with albinism in the country have called on the public to participate in protecting and creating a friendly environment for people living with albinism.
The chairperson of Barwany Albinism Development Trust Fund (BADEF), Salum Khalfan Barwany, who is also Member of Parliament for Lindi Urban said this in Dar es Salaam on Saturday during the launch of the first Nationwide Albinism Welfare Campaign.
Mr Barwany said the campaign; titled ‘Nifahamu’, aims at creating awareness on issues affecting persons with albinism and appeal to the public to take part in a fundraising campaign to raise over 500 million/-.
“The campaign aims to raise funds that will be used to spread public awareness on the plight of albinos, infuse social change towards acceptance of albinos in the community and squash witchcraft beliefs and practices that have subjected albinos into inhuman treatment,” he said.
He said that albinos in the country are faced with challenges that include negative perceptions from members of the public, skin cancer threats, lack of appropriate medical services and inadequate information and knowledge on albinism.
He added that BADEF aims at triggering positive change through public awareness and funding of projects aimed at ending discrimination and promoting equal treatment and opportunities for albinos in the country.
“Being an albino myself, I understand the predicament that albinos face in the country. I, therefore, seek to bring about positive change in order to improve some of the conditions that are holding us back, especially in key issues like education and health,” he said.
BADEF will, according to him, educate the public through media and will appeal for funds in preparation for the Trust’s first gala to be held in February, next year.
________________________________
Tanzania's first elected albino lawmaker Salum Khalfan Barwany (R) smiles as he poses with his wife Fatuma (L) and their six year-old daughter Shuweikha (C) in the south-eastern Tanzanian town of Lindi on November 4, 2010. The 51-year-old MP-elect said his victory signaled a change in Tanzanians' attitude towards the disabled and albinos, who have been hunted down by witchdoctors for their body parts used to concoct lucky charms. He added 'I am happy with the choice of the people. They voted hugely to elect me'.
Al-Shymaa Kwegyir is the first albino woman to have been a Member of Parliament in Tanzania or for that matter anywhere in Africa.
“When the President chose to nominate me in 2005, it was a big surprise for me, I am still reeling from the surprise five years later. It was the first time in our history…I had made history,” Kwegyir says, still proud.
Popular vote But in the recently concluded 2010 General Election, Tanzania has seen the first ever MP to be elected by popular vote. Salum Khalfani Bar'wani is from the Opposition party Civic United Front (CUF).Although Kwegyir is from the ruling party Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM), that did not stop her from congratulating her new colleague in parliament. “Bar’wani’s election is a big symbol for all of us albinos, it shows that we can also take part in the decision-making process. Many of us think that society will not respect us. But Bar’wani is an example proving the contrary. He participated with many other contestants who were not albinos. But Bar’wani won with a lot of votes.”
Unlike in 2005, when she was nominated by the President outside the party preliminaries, this time Kwegyi had to contest within the CCM for its intra-party nominations.
“I have been chosen by the people as well, especially by women who came out within our intra-party caucus to vote for me. Inshallah (God willing) I want to contest from a constituency in 2015,” says the mother of two.
Awareness According to Kwegyir, she has travelled extensively and spoken to people to raise awareness in the Lake region in Northern Tanzania where albino-killings are most common.
“I will keep doing the same, even this term. No longer that a month ago there was an instance of an albino killed near the Tanzanian border with Burundi. My efforts must continue but it should not come from me alone. I will speak to other members of the parliament to talk to the people in their constituencies,” she says determined. Kwegyir remains optimistic about the situation. “A lot has changed. The killings have decreased in number. Now we see albino people out in the open, talking, laughing with others. We also want to be seen by people as normal. We have a football team of albino players, we had a fashion show where an albino model participated. All these were unthinkable before.” For her the priority is to provide education for albino people. “I remember when I sat for my school-leaving examinations, there was a problem with question paper printing. They decided to write the questions on the board and kept rubbing them out before I could copy them down because of my poor eyesight resulting from albinism. I failed that exam. But I do not want anybody else to fail.”
By her own admission though, the most important issue facing albinos in Tanzania is still safety. “Albinos should be able to be full members of the society without being hunted by others,” she keeps saying. Posts: 42925 | From: , | Registered: Jan 2010
| IP: Logged |
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic