Albinism is a congenital lack of the melanin pigment in the skin, eyes and hair which protects one from the sun's ultraviolet rays. In Tanzania, as well as in some other African countries, albino body parts are considered valuable for wealth and luck. Albinos are also subject to discrimination in society.
Al Shayma Kwegyir is attending the Durban Review Conference against Racism. As a member of parliament in Tanzania, she is the first Albino to hold such a position. She shared with UN Radio's Patrick Maigua some of the life-threatening myths that exist about albinism:
KWEGYIR: People believe, witchcraft belief that albino's body parts, if you get a bone of an albino you will become rich, you will get well through the body parts of an albino. Also you will get wealth through mining with the bone and you will get well through fishing with hairs of an albino. This is what people believe, especially in the Lake region. And what we have come to see is that ignorance is the problem of these people. Education is very much needed to the area, the Lake region, people to be educated and also to... to God. People are not going to churches. People are not going to mosques. They just believe in witchcraft. They don't believe in God.
MAIGUA: What assistance is the government giving you to be able to overcome these types of discrimination?
KWEGYIR: The government has given us the support, the president first. The first support he did is by appointing me. After my appointment, I have tried to work in about eight regions to give the awareness of the people in those regions, to know that albinos are human beings. They need support. In the education side the government has saved some few schools in ... level and primary level to the albinos. Wherever an albino does well in school, he goes or she goes straight to those schools. The opportunity of education is there. And other non-governmental organizations now support the albinos in the health side, in empowerment. Many supporters are turning up to help albinos. After the government, then the non-government are coming because the government alone can't do everything. There are other well wishers who are supporting the albinos. And many of them are standing up now.
MAIGUA: And what kind of solutions would you like to see coming out of this Durban Review Conference, specifically addressing the issue of discrimination on albinos?
KWEGYIR: After this meeting, what I am expecting is that the UN has to recognize the people, the people with albinism, to know that they need support. They need to be supported in education. They need to be supported in health. They need support in empowerment. The UN must talk to all countries who are the members of the United Nations to help people with albinism. They very much need support in those three sections, economically, socially and empowerment also. Therefore, we really expect the help from those countries who are members of the United Nations.
MAIGUA: And maybe you can tell us, when you were growing up, were you ever a victim of discrimination? How did you experience it?
KWEGYIR: When I was a child I experienced a lot. I have teased. I have been given verbal abuses. In my childhood I have been called names, 'ghosts' 'nobody'... Children were running after me when I am coming from school going back home. I really had problems in my primary education since Standard 1 until 7. Whenever I passed through the road I had a situation: chasing, verbal abuses everyday. This is the situation I lived in in my childhood. After completing my primary education when I was in secondary education I had friends, but some of them continued the verbal abuses. The abuses were there. Discrimination was there. Some didn't want to sit near me. They didn't want to sit near me. They said, 'no, this is not a human being. We cant' sit near. When we sit near you, my mother will get a baby like you. Some believe that. Some said 'no, when you are pregnant, don't look at an albino. If you look at an albino you will have an albino baby.' That's what they believed.
MAIGUA: And how were you able to overcome this?
KWEGYIR: By overcoming this is just you don't listen to them because they continue everyday. The situation I decided that I never listen to them I continued with my way of life. That's how I am.
Narrator: Al Shayma Kwegyir of Tanzania was interviewed by UN Radio's Patrick Maigua.
(duration: 4'21")