BY: PROBLYN J. ALPHA
Royal Foundation Sierra Leone has joined the World over to celebrate this year’s International Albinism awareness day on the Theme” United in making our voices heard.”
The theme highlights the need to include persons with albinism in discussions, and initiatives affecting their human rights to ensure they enjoy the equality and protection accorded to them by the International law and standards.
The theme also recognizes the need for persons with Albinism to work together and build partnerships to effectively tackle the human rights challenges they are faced with.
Despite many efforts and achievements accomplished since the introduction of the international Albinism day, the members still have a long way to go in achieving equality and recognition in various spheres of society.
In an interview, the Executive Director and founder of Royal Foundation Sierra Leone Madam Sarah Jaiwa revealed that Kono is the sixth District in the country that has hosted the International Albinism awareness day celebration.
Madam Jaiwa pointed out that the exclusion of persons with albinism in crucial discussions and spaces can ultimately lead to the violations of their human rights.
According to her, she said while some progress is being made in some countries in the areas of health, education and employment, they continue to witness ritual killings of persons with albinism, discrimination, bullying and attitudinal barriers against them adding that in addition to all of the aforementioned social vices contemporary human rights, concerns and Policies developed in response to the aforesaid issues continue to leave persons with albinism behind.
She pleaded with stakeholders to include persons with albinism in discussions and decision-making, noting there can never be equality without the inclusion of the voice of the most vulnerable.
Some of the albinos who spoke to this medium noted that people do not only laugh at them but they also discriminate against them because of their color, nothing some people don’t eat along with them nor do they eat what they prepare or cook.
