There are up to 10,000 people living with albinism in Malawi alone. Attacks and killings of albinos occur in 25 African countries. Poor education leads people to believe that albinism is a curse of the gods, or a contagious disease. In reality, it is simply a genetic condition (lack of melanin in hair, skin, and eyes). But since the population is uninformed, there is a stigmatism against people born with albinism and the mothers that give birth to them. The harassment towards mothers is so extreme in some cases that they cave and throw away their infants. We'll offer much more information about this issue as the week progresses.
Our awareness-raising campaign centers around this website, our Twitter, an egg hunt and the $50 Fugitive. Spread the word and participate!
To start things off, there will be an egg hunt in the school tomorrow. Over 100 plastic eggs will be hidden throughout the school. When you find an egg, you’ll get a Jolly Rancher and learn a bit about attacks on albinos in Africa. (Please return your egg to the box in the main office or room 211, so we can reuse it.)
We are excited to announce that one of our teachers is the $50 Fugitive and if you can “catch” the Fugitive, you’ll win a $50 gift card to Dunkin' Donuts or Starbucks. When you identify the Fugitive you must also recite 3 facts on albinism in Africa. If you do both correctly you win! Tuesday’s clue and fact are:
- The Fugitive once rappelled a rocky mountain cliff.
- It is believed that the bones of people living with albinism contain gold.