Africa-Press – Tanzania. A LOCAL non-governmental organisation – Albino Enterprises of Dar es Salaam (AED) has launched a campaign to mobilise the community to invest in economic empowerment activities for people with albinism to escape the cycle of poverty.
The campaign aims at empowering them to set up small-scale projects to earn a living and meet their basic needs.
AED Secretary-General, Mr John Deo revealed that in Dar es Salaam yesterday at Tanzania Standard (Newspapers) Ltd (TSN) offices during an event to hand over a certificate of appreciation in recognition of the company’s role in a campaign to end the killings of people with albinism.
Mr Deo said poverty among the persons with albinism, hinder them from acquiring essential protective gear and supplies that help to protect skins against dangerous sun radiation that induces skin cancer.
“This campaign aims at empowering people with albinism to earn income to help them to acquire recommended sunscreen lotions and eyes protection gears and other supplies to lessen the risk of getting skin cancer.
Multiple and intersecting discrimination prevents people with albinism from pulling themselves out of poverty on their own.”He stressed.
Mr Deo said the long-term impact of the campaign was the livelihood and health of the persons with Albinism improved, their lives saved from the danger of contracting cancer, making them healthy and productive enough to take care of themselves and take part in economic and social activities.
The campaign expects to involve the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government, Members of Parliament, financial institutions, business people, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), international organisations, media,prominent people, among others.
In 2016, AED launched a campaign to end the killings of people with Albinism where they appointed a Tanzanian professional footballer, Mbwana Samatta, as an ambassador who later on established his foundation that serves to promote social integration and equal opportunities to people with albinism and disability.
AED Chairperson, Michael Lugendo, thanked TSN for the role it played in raising awareness to end the killings of people with albinism.
Mr Lugendo said more than 30 certificates of appreciation were to be awarded to various people who made the campaign a success.
“Large per cent of people with albinism contracts skin cancer in the rural areas of Tanzania. Also, have poor vision, but we believe through this campaign and media support we will reach and help many people with albinism,” he noted.
Speaking on behalf of TSN Managing Editor, Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr Nicodemus Ikonko expressed gratitude to the organization for the gesture.
“We are working with many organisations in the country. Receiving this certificate shows that our efforts to affect society bore fruits. We pledge to work hard with you and other organisations to bring positive impact in several areas,” said Mr Ikonko.
A study titled ‘Histological review of skin cancers in African Albinos: a 10-year retrospective review ‘published in 2014 states that lack of melanin in Albinos increases the risk of developing skin cancer by 1,000-fold as compared with the general African population.
