TQM report,
United Nations set aside every 13th of June to celebrate International Albinism Awareness Day, it is a day to create awareness about albinism and persons with albinism for the public to understand what albinism is all about to dispel the negative stereotypes and myths surrounding albinism especially in Africa and the challenges that persons with disabilities are facing on daily basis.
This day has always been remarkable and the theme of this year celebration is ‘Strength Beyond All Odds’. I think the UN wants to highlight the achievement of people with albinism around the world.
Persons with albinism have defied all odds and exceeded the expectations in all domains of life which now requires everyone to begin to contribute for the betterment of persons with albinism especially in this time of global pandemic.
It was in this vein, that some young persons with albinism in the Nation’s Capital Abuja on Sunday, organized awareness/pool party to commemorate the International Albinism Awareness Day. These young persons with albinism led by Constance Onyemaechi, Odogwu Chiemeka and others invited some leaders of disability community and used the opportunity to carry out sensitization on Albinism, shared their stories for public to understand the issues from the perceptive of persons with albinism.
Sarah Iyaba, a young girl with albinism who is also one of the participants, described the day as a day of the reunion, coming together to share their experiences based on how they are faring inspite of the challenges associated with discrimination. She urged other persons with albinism to look beyond the name calling and other discriminatory practices and live a normal life.
Constance Onyemaechi, co-convener of the program said that they tasked themselves and friends supported to organize the event/pool party in order to have young ladies and boys with albinism party and have fun because the low self-esteem is already prevalence on a lot of them.
Speaking further, she said that people should do away with some myths surrounding persons with albinism, some people think that persons with albinism are good for money ritual, or when some person that when one sleeps with any girl with albinism, they would be purified. She urged other young people with albinism to do away with low self-esteem and build a lot of confidence because there is no limit to what they can become.
She urged the members of the public to stop assuming things for persons with albinism, they should always enquire from persons with albinism to avoid discriminatory practices.
According to Constance and other persons with albinism such as Cynthia Onyinyechi and Frank Oche John, co-conveners of the event, pointed out their main challenge to be naming calling, denial of job opportunities and other opportunities based on albinism among numerous other challenges facing persons with albinism in Nigeria such as skin cancer, risk of being killed for ritual purposes.
They urged government to consciously develop programmes that geared towards empowerment of persons with albinism.
The event witnessed the presence of the representative of the National Commission of Persons with disabilities, The Ag. Director on Special Duties, Mr. Lawrence Idemudia, Mrs. Beyioku-Alase (Mama Deaf) of Deaf Women Association of Nigeria (DWAN), Mr. Obinna Ekujereonye (Pubicity Secretary, Joint National Association of Persons with disabilities (JONAPWD) FCT), Agbo Christian Obiora (The Secretary JONAPWD FCT and the Executive Director, The Qualitative Magazine (TQM), Muyiwa Afolabi of Centre for Deaf Inclusion, Avershim Akighir, Executive Director, Hope Alive for Possibilities Initiative, NTA, HipCityHub and many others.
The event witnessed a lot of fun as some participants tried new skills in swimming, there were a lots of fun and the organizers set a task for themselves which is to keep bringing together young people with albinism in order to build their self-esteem.
Some pictures of the event
