Project gives hope to children with albinism

By Linah Benyawa

The centre at the Coast that caters for people with albinism.

They are the most endangered species in East Africa and face extinction because of what some people think are their “valuable body parts”.

There is a widespread belief that albino body parts are a path to acquisition of material wealth.

The belief seems to be taking root in the Coastal counties too where albinos risk risk being sold off to neighbouring Tanzania, where this wealth creation myth originated.

Health reasons

In Kinango district of Kwale County, a non-governmental organisation has even come up with a project that will ensure people living with albinism are protected.

According to the coordinator of Education Foundation Support Trust Hussein Lubambo, there are more than 50 children living with albinism in the district and that their lives are at a great risk. The organisation has constructed a dormitory for the vulnerable children.

“Albino children in Kwale live in fear because of their closeness to the Tanzanian border. We came up with this project to guarantee protection to these children,” he says.

The Kibandaongo Albino unit took in 15 children and integrated them in Kibandaongo Primary school where they are taken care of.

Mr Lubambo says they identified a school which had children living with the condition. From that, they came up with the dormitory project. Apart from the risk of being sold, the children also used to walk long distances to and from school.

“We had to come up with this project because of security and health reasons. The long distances meant that the children could be affected by ultra-violet rays.

Donor funding

The unit was funded by a donor from the Netherlands. The children are also being provided with sunscreen lotion which most of them cannot afford due to poverty.

The unit is the only such centre not only in Kwale county but in the Coast region as a whole.

Chained to bed

It was launched in October 2010 with admission of 15 children. Because of the high level of poverty, the number keeps fluctuating as sometimes they fail to get the necessary basics.

A teacher, Shaban Bindo says the number of children has been reducing because the parents were asked to chip in a little. Some are unable to do so thus retaining the young ones at home.

He says there are still a large number of such children out there in the villages but because of stigma and poverty, they were being hidden by their parents.

Mr Lubambo cites an incident where they had to rescue a small girl living with the condition from her parents who had refused to take her to hospital due to fear.

“The poor girl had been chained to a bed and locked in her room. They had left her to die as they were afraid to expose her to the world,” he says.

Unfortunately, the girl died while undergoing treatment.

“This is what prompted us to build the dormitor,” Mr Lubambo says.

According to the school head teacher, Nyale Athman the unit faces a lot of challenges as it does benefit in any way from the Government as far as feeding the children is concerned as it is not registered by the Ministry of Education or Social Services.

“The donors did a noble job of building the unit to offer security, education and other services to pupils living with albinism. I wish the Government could look into the matter and help us,” says Mr Athman.

He adds that the the school is forced to supplement for the children’s evening meal as there are no allocations for such meals in the school feeding programme.

He says the process of registering the school is ongoing. A senior education officer had already paid a visit to the unit and inspected it. With this, it is expected that the school will get direct funding just like any other special school.

Hassan Beja, 16 in class seven, Mwingo Kombo in class five and Ali Kombo in class three are beneficiaries to the project and are glad to be accommodated at the centre.

Constitutional rights

Charity Chilagu and Bahati Mwamvula, both 12 years left their homes in Lutsangani and Samburu after they were informed of the unit.

“Our lives were in danger but for now, I am assured of security. I want to thank the organisation for its kind gesture,” says Chilagu.

Beja says they appreciate the fact that they were given sunscreen lotion, sunglasses and caps but appeals for reading glasses and a solar panel so that they can read well.

“Sometimes it is difficult for us to read in class because we don’t have reading glasses. We cannot read in the dormitory when there is no paraffin. That is why why we are appealing to well wishers for a solar panel,” says the lad.

At the same time, Mr Lubambo says the children are assured of enough security because the school has liased with the provincial administration, which deploy administration police officers in the the school to protect the children.

He adds that the organisation set out to destroy the myths, beliefs and lies perpetuated about albinos.

He says if the process is successful, it will greatly reduce incidents of the children being sold to magic practitioners. It will also address stop their killings or injuries in and out of the country.

“Albinos are human beings just like any person and they deserve protection. They should also enjoy the fundamental human rights as enshrined in the constitution. There is no way one can acquire riches by killing another person for their body parts. People must learn to work hard and avoid short cuts,” he concludes.