By Joyce Mukucha
As Zimbabwe joined the rest of the world in commemorating the International Albinism Awareness Day, Alive Albinism Initiative has commended different stakeholders for extending unwavering support to people with albinism.
The organisation seeks to see a world where people with albinism rise and compete in the race of life, empowering them so that they become ambassadors against intolerance and transform the mindset of the society towards persons with albinism.
The International Albinism Awareness Day was set aside as a reminder to the whole world, of the atrocities that were and still continue to be committed against Persons With Albinism on the African continent. Issues of body mutilation, ritual murders, abductions, displacement not to talk of stigma and discrimination continue to complicate the lives of Persons With Albinism in Africa.
In Zimbabwe, the constituency which constitutes more than 30000 people faces insurmountable challenges. Some are greatly misunderstood and a lot come from broken families with many of them having to grapple with lethal skin cancer as they cannot access sunscreen consistently.
In a statement on the 13th of June 2020, the Alive Albinism Initiative Executive Director, Tapiwa Gwenlisa Mushonga applauded the media fraternity, the medical field, the law field among other stakeholders that have given them a chance to shine by looking beyond the skin.
Mushonga added that they look forward to continued support and to the rise of a generation of empowered Persons With Albinism who will rise beyond all challenges and take the world by storm.
“We extend our gratitude to various institutions who have all seen the rise of skilled professionals in Zimbabwe who have shown great talents and zeal showing that they too can shine. Many have broken new grounds in various professions, changing the narrative from that of misery to success and hope for the future.
” We salute them and applaud companies and institutions that have given them a chance to shine by looking beyond the skin. We look forward to the rise of a generation of empowered Persons With Albinism who will rise beyond all challenges and take the world by storm. May God bless you all. May God bless Persons With Albinism in Zimbabwe and in the world at large,” she said.
Alive Albinism Initiative, she said, was committed to creating an enabling environment for people with albinism as they look forward to a generation that will take up the social-political and corporate space and leave an indelible mark.
