International Albinism Awareness Day
The term «Albinism» is from the Latin albus, «white». According to Wikipedia, in humans it is a congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes. Albinism is associated with a number of vision defects, such as photophobia, nystagmus, and amblyopia. Lack of skin pigmentation makes for more susceptibility to sunburn and skin cancer. As this disorder is immediately visible on the outside, people suffering from albinism in Africa have to fear discrimination and persecution. Persecution of people with albinism is based on the belief that certain body parts of albinistic people can transmit magical powers. Such superstition has been promulgated and exploited by witch doctors and others who use such body parts as ingredients in rituals, concoctions and potions with the claim that their magic will bring prosperity to the user.
According to an article in the Tanzanian paper « The Citizen » from May 10, 2016, the government established temporary holding centres (THCs) as « safe » houses for children with albinism in efforts to curb physical attacks on them. But albino children confined in the special centres are still living in fear and insecurity. Since 2015, 8 cases have been reported in Tanzania on attacks against people with albinism. Currently, there are 32 THCs for such children in Tanzania, the biggest being Buhangija in Shinyanga which hosts about 301 children.
This is a very interesting documentary about « The hunt for Albinos »