Rotarians from Mirfield Rotary Club have visited Tanzania to help the plight of albinos who face serious discrimination.
John and Chris Philip of the club visited the country to spearhead a project to help those with the congenital disorder, after witnessing the poor conditions and terrible treatment they faced.
Albinos have no melanin pigment in their skin, and therefore appear ‘white’ and are sensitive to ultraviolet radiation, which can result in skin cancer. The lack of pigments in the eye causes sight problems, and magnifying glasses are the only way to help them read.
Albinos are stigmatised, excluded from education and employment, often physically assaulted and sometimes brutally murdered. They live in fear because of the myth that their body parts have magical powers, and a complete set of Albino body parts can fetch up to $75,000.
The project received support from clubs in the USA, Portugal, Geneva, Sweden, and India as well as a grant from the Rotary Foundation, all of which totaled £83,000.
John said: “The fund will help us to undertake village workshops, educate albino children, improve medical care and most importantly provide training and micro-finance help so that the albinos can improve their earning potential. Through this project we hope to help them to claim their rightful place in the society and live without fear or prejudice.”
