Early in our time here, I would occasionally spot someone
from a distance in our small town and think, "Oh, there's another white
person!" Only when I got a closer
look would I realize that the person was an Albino. Albinism is a congenital disorder that results
in very little pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes. It shows up rarely in this population, but it
is very noticeable. Albinos have pinkish
skin and in that regard resemble a blond Caucasian, but have Black African facial
features and hair texture.
Albinos have it tough in this country in several
ways. They have to be very careful to
protect themselves from the sun. We are
only 3 degrees from the equator, and our town is a mile high, so the sun's rays
are intense. Albinos must wear long
sleeves, hats or scarves, and often sunglasses, even indoors. The other danger for them lies in
superstition and ignorance. In some
remote areas of the country, they have been subject to witchcraft-related
murder and maiming. Their body parts are
believed by some to have magical properties.
The more educated people of the country do not believe
this, however, and in places where the legal system is functioning well, such
crimes are prosecuted and punished. We
have a new teacher at our school who is an Albino, and I am happy to observe
that the other teachers do not discriminate against him, but treat him like any
other Tanzanian.
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