Albinos are among the groups most
discriminated against in the society. The mere
sight of an albino instills fear in some people
because of the myths and misconceptions about
them. And whereas some people believe albinos
body parts are good for rituals, others, especially
in Nigeria and Africa, think albinism is spiritual.
Some say albinos do not die but simply disappear
while a school of thought holds the view that
they are products of atrocities committed by
their parents. In some other societies, albinos
are seen as products of infidelity (mothers
having sexual relationship with white men).
Sadly, the situation has continued to fuel stigma
and discrimination against albinos.
Meanwhile, the circumstances such as these
have forced persons with albinism to recoil into
their shell. In some African countries like
Tanzania, Burundi and Malawi, there have been
reports of the killings of albinos all because of
their skin colour. But science has proved these
beliefs on albinos wrong. Albinism is simply a
rare non- contagious, genetically inherited
condition that affects people worldwide,
regardless of ethnicity or gender. Scientists say
it occurs due to a significant deficit in the
production of pigment melanin, resulting into
white skin, light hair, and vision problems.
Studies have shown that there is no difference
between an albino and a non-albino apart from
pigmentation. In essence, an albino can attain
any height and do anything done by people with
melanin. But an albino must keep away from
scorching sun, insect bites and take good care of
his eyes.
Today, many albinos around the world are
soaring high in their chosen professions. One of
them, 27- year-old Mrs. Onome Okagbare Majoro,
is a graduate of mass communication from
University of Lagos. Although her growing up was
not easy with a white skin among other pupils in
a Lagos school, her mother never allowed
whatever anybody said about her to hurt her.
Onome was made to deal with so much
discrimination, myth, superstition and
misconceptive. Seeing herself different from
other members of her class almost discouraged
her as a child to continue her education. “I
suffered so much humiliation,” she says.
The humiliation didn’t get any better as she grew
older. According to her, friends and classmates
used her complexion as a tool to attack her
anytime she had problem with them.
Onome, who sees her mother as the pillar of her
success, said: “I owe all to my mother. She is
the pillar of my success.”
According to the mother of one, her parents
were very much informed about her condition
which enabled them to prepare her for the
future.
“They were able to nurture me on some rules
and that is why my skin is like this today. I was
told not to go under the sun, that I could eat
anything. I should not allow insects to bite me.
They kept on correcting me. When I go out and
people have negative impression about albinos, I
correct them. I always read about albinism
because everyday something new is coming out’.
But even with all her knowledge, there are times
Onome felt like throwing in the towel.
“Yes! Living as a person with albinism has not
been easy. I remember growing up; there was a
day I refused to go to a school party because I
told my mum that everybody will keep looking at
me. I went to Corona, a very good private school,
but people will keep looking at me. Even in the
neighbourhood, people would sing about me and
I would feel so withdrawn but my mum will tell
me to love myself and that I am beautiful. That
is how she helped me to build confidence.”
Onome was given so many names by her
classmates and neighbours. “Some will call me
‘Oyinbo Pepper’ while clapping their hands,
anytime we got into a fight. I began to keep to
myself. I was scared to say anything because I
knew I would be called these derogatory names.”
Coping with myths and humiliation
After her days in junior school, Onome thought
the days of humiliation had passed but little did
she know that it has no ending. “When I
discovered that the abuse will continue for a long
time, I developed thick skin to whatever the
society said about me, just like my mother taught
me,” the co-founder of the Onome Akinolu
Majaro Foundation explains.
“I battled myths like in Yoruba, they say ‘Afin o
kin je iyo’, which means albino does not eat salt.
“People will accost me and ask me and I will
say. If I eat all foods and I will tell them I do ‘.
Some will say albinos don’t take pepper. I was
like ‘no, they are just myths’. When I started my
foundation I heard a lot of other ridiculous
statements. We are trying to correct the myths
with facts. There are myths like albinism is a
curse or albinism, is from incest, the mother
slept with a white man, the body part of an
albino will give you good luck charm. There are
so many myths out there, so we are trying so
hard to correct them and let the people know
that albinism is just the absence of melanin, a
pigment that gives colour to the skin, the hair
and eye.”
Even after tying the knot with her heartthrob,
Lolu, Onome has continued to deal with the
challenges that come with being an albino.
“I went to the bank and an elderly couple looked
at me and said ‘orisa’ (god) and I felt so bad. I
was like ‘why would you call me orisa? Why will
you make it so public? Why will people look at
me with pity?
“I almost withdrew into my shell. Meanwhile,
after my wedding, my inbox was flooded on the
social media. People were asking how I got
married. What did I do? Some said I was so
blessed. There were different instances where I
would question God and say maybe if He had
made me a black person, people will not say
these awful things about me. “
But in all of these, one thing that has worked for
Onome is the fact that she started at a young
age to learn to love herself. “I have learnt to be
comfortable on my own, especially now that I am
a mother because, by the time my son starts
school and other children start questioning him, I
should be able to tell him,” she points out.
Onome called on the Federal Government to
subsidise sun screen for albinos as many
Nigerians affected cannot afford it.
“A good sun screen is between N4,000 and
N5,000, depending on the store. If government
can subsidise it, it will go a long way to help
regular albinos who go under the sun to do basic
works, a number of them are dying from skin
cancer and they are contracting skin cancer
because they work under the sun. Just recently,
the Coordinator of Benue State Chapter of Albino
Foundation, died of skin cancer. There is also
the need for government to help albinos with
dermatology and optical services at reasonable
costs”, she says.
In Nigeria, a study on ‘Albinism in Africa as a
Public Health Issue’, published in BMC Public
Health, showed that the country has a
prevalence of 1 in 15,000.
Speaking to Sunday Vanguard, the Director, UN
Information Centre for Nigeria, Ronald Kayanja,
said albinism is a condition that affects an
estimated 1 in 17,000 people globally. In sub-
Saharan Africa, the rate of albinism is around 1
in 5,000 but, in Europe and America, it is closer
to 1 in 20,000.
According to Kayanja, reports abound about
persons with albinism being hunted and
physically attacked due to the mis-belief that
their body parts, when used in witchcraft rituals
and potion or amulets, will induce wealth, good
luck and political success.
He identified the perceptions of their appearance
as ghosts and subhuman as major cause of
attack on albinos.
He explained that that albinism is caused by a
reduction or absence of the pigment melanin,
often causing white skin, light hair, and vision
problems.
He lamented the lack of information on the
condition which he said facilitates the spread of
myths about albinism.
Describing it as an inherited condition, he said
there is a 25 percent chance that a child will be
born with albinism at each pregnancy.
Condemning all forms of violence against albinos,
he called on government to protect all albinos
and ensure that they have access to education
and other basic things in the society.
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