Baidon Chaponda, the Coordinator of the Albinism Foundation of Zambia, has urged the Government to work with existing organizations that advocate for the welfare of people with albinism to promote and raise awareness about albinism.
Mr. Chaponda mentioned how people with albinism face challenges that necessitate government intervention.
Zambia Albinism Foundation Urges Govt To Work With The Organisation To Raise Albinism Awareness
He said, "Talking about the Government's engagement with existing organizations, when the Government comes in, they can work with these organizations that are experts in this area.
They will also be able to advise the Government on how to conduct albinism awareness programs."
He cited that the sensitization programs will extend to schools because of cases where persons with albinism are bullied in schools and are also not given the attention they deserve.
Mr. Chaponda praised the Government and existing organizations not only for albinism but also for other disability organizations enforcing inclusive education issues. Then, people with albinism attend schools for vision-impaired students, which was not supposed to happen.
That is why, he claims, there is now inclusive education, in which people with and without disabilities learn in the same class without segregation or discrimination. As a result, school is an important issue.
Mr. Chaponda mentioned that whatever the organization is doing, they will try consulting organizations in countries like Tanzania.
These countries have taken a step further and made significant progress in raising awareness of albinism.
There's nothing ritual or spiritual about any body parts of a person with albinism, says the Director of Disability Rights Watch. However, Wamundila Waliuya states that if the Government is to take steps, they have reviewed the cause and raised lots of awareness.
Mr. Waliuya explained that to develop a strategy, there is a need to establish a cause, for example, the cause of these ritual killings, mutilations, and all that.
It is a historical issue in Africa, where every person is black. Then suddenly, someone gives birth to a white person, and there was initially no explanation on how this was possible.
Therefore, it became like a curse, an issue of spiritualism, a non-understandable issue, and the issue of it came from God.
He added that a lot has been happening for a long time because of a particular spiritual belief.
A belief is that people with albinism carry certain powers created by God; therefore, their body parts are used for ritual practices.
