10 Jun 2021

International Albinism Awareness Day (IAAD) will be commemorated tomorrow in different parts across the country.

The Director of Public Relations and Secretariat of Tshimologo ya Mesepele ya Katlego Association for the Albinism community, Ms Philadelphia  Motladiile said in an interview that the day would be commemorated in Gaborone, at Maun, Francistown and Mochudi under the theme: Strength Beyond All Odds.

Ms Motladiile, who is also the president of Ms Beauty with Albinism Botswana Pageant brand , said the theme aimed to encourage albinos to continue to be strong and unleash their talents in different fields despite the challenges they faced. 

“Most of us are battling challenges of discrimination and stigma, lack of relevant resources among others. The commemoration seeks to give some albinos, who managed to excel, a platform to share their experiences with others to encourage them to spread their wings without the fear of not fitting well in society,” she said.

She said the day was also intended to encourage self-acceptance and self-love among albinos, adding that it was also meant to recognise the founders in the albinism community who became torch bearers to highlight the importance of accepting and empowering people with albinism.

Ms Motladiile further shared that the IAAD also sought to advocate for reinforced home care, saying some of the challenges that people living with albinism were faced up with started at home, citing issues of rape and other forms of Gender-Based Violence.

“Challenges that some of the people living with albinism experience have led to career failure, unreported HIV/AIDS infections, unwanted pregnancies due to rape and others,” she said.

Ms Motladiile said due to numbers of people with albinism in the community, the day would be commemorated physically and COVID-19 health protocols would be observed. Ends