Let Love Lead: Including People with Albinism

In Cameroon, Anwi helps people with albinism to find hope and belonging by raising awareness about skin cancer and creating economic opportunities.

Please join hands with me to end skin cancer and myths about persons with albinism in your little corners.

Anwi

I grew up in a community where persons living with albinism were considered "African mistakes.” People didn’t want to sit by us, considered sending us to school a waste of resources, and even used us for ritual sacrifices. Some parents killed their children at birth when they realized their children had albinism. There is a fight for survival, hope, and belonging among people with albinism in my community.

As a person with albinism, I myself experienced difficulties growing up. People mocked my father, and my schoolmates always called me names. They refused to associate with me and said if we played and they touched me, I would break because I was too soft. My teachers shouted at me when I struggled to see words on the board. (Often, people with albinism experience poor eyesight, low vision, or astigmatism). I felt angry with God for my condition. At home, the only person who showed me love was my dad. But despite the stigma I faced in the community, many people helped and encouraged me, especially in secondary school and university. 

Without that love and encouragement, I am not sure where I would be. Many in Cameroon do not have the benefit of people believing in them. Some hide in dark rooms for years, hoping to die. The isolation and stigma lead many people with albinism to commit suicide. Parents of children with albinism blame humanity for not being fair. They often ask their children to do all chores, such as hawking and farming, which exposes their pale complexion to skin cancer. 

According to the latest WHO data published in 2020, skin cancer deaths in Cameroon reached 204, or 0.11% of total deaths. The age-adjusted death rate is 1.92 per 100,000 of the population, ranking Cameroon 89th highest in the world for skin cancer deaths. 

I remember when I was growing up, a girl with cancerous skin was ridiculed. I tried all I could to be her friend but to no avail. Everyone ran away from her, including the teachers who refused to touch her books. People threw insults at her as she struggled for her survival. The girl became mean and sorrowful. 

That experience motivated me to help my brothers and sisters with albinism find hope and belonging. As a nurse and activist, I advocate for people with albinism, empowering them and donating my services to help prevent skin cancer. I founded the Association for the Welfare of Albinos (AWA), where I go door to door to schools, churches, and marketplaces to sensitize people on albinism. 

I emphasize reaching young people so they will be educated and able to secure jobs under shelter to protect their skin. Amid the socio-economic crisis in the Northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon, my organization also educates women on how to cope in conflict periods and how to manage drug abuse. 

During our skin cancer workshops, we teach participants how to make locally made products such as Vaseline, which helps to smooth and remove hard skin tissue of people living with albinism. Menthol helps to prevent their lips from cracking. We also teach them to produce a cocoa beverage, bleach, and liquid soap. We help them produce these products for commercial and home consumption, increasing their likelihood of becoming independent. I also help them produce a medicated soap that helps with the onset of skin cancer.

I have a project titled "AWA's Five Pillars of Rehabilitation," which includes healthcare, general education, arts and crafts, agriculture, and niche market economy products.

The first sub-project from these five pillars is health, and the title of the sub-project is "Sensitization On The Effective, Affordable and Applicable” methods to prevent skin cancer among people living with albinism in Cameroon. I would greatly appreciate it if you would support me in implementing this initiative because it will go a long way to save lives and improve the livelihoods of persons living with albinism and the physically challenged. 

I will continue sensitizing and empowering people until this world becomes beautiful for you and me. As the founder of the Association for the Welfare of Albinos (AWA), I know that many people living with albinism have experienced violence at the hands of family members. Many already have skin cancer that needs medical attention and lack the services and financial resources to access treatment. I plead that we all join our hands to support and encourage skin cancer prevention because prevention is always better than seeking a cure.

My message to you reading this is that wherever you are, in your little way, you can help promote the lives of people with albinism and give them a sense of belonging. Please join with me to end skin cancer and myths about persons with albinism in your little corners. 

To the policymakers, people living with albinism need laws that protect their rights because, in some countries, they are not included or regarded as persons with disabilities. Society should clearly state where persons with albinism belong; in some countries, they are not considered or included with persons living with disabilities and, at the same time, not considered ordinary people. This leads to confusion, frustration, and isolation.

Parents can help their children deal with teasing or other forms of discrimination by encouraging them to share their experiences and their feelings about them. People with albinism have the same blood, breathe the same air, and have families like everyone else – they just have the absence of melanin. People with albinism should be included in all activities in our communities and countries, leaving no one behind. We should let love lead. 

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