On the last class, on Friday, 16th of May, we studied the alleles, genotypes and the phenotypes. And with this theme we had an exercise of albinos and so we began to talk about these humans.
Our teacher showed us the news of the newspaper "El País" from the day, 6th of May of 2008. The news surprised us greatly; it spoke about the plight of albinos in Tanzania. Where, nothing else birth, they are rejected. Usually by their fathers, who abandoned their children’s and their mothers. For the fathers, the mothers are the guilty of the condition.
These children have got many difficulties at school to see to the blackboard. Teachers and classmates discriminate and insult these people. Finding a job is very difficult, they are marginalized. The albinos suffer problems optical and the African sun, harsh, causing sores and burn them. Many albinos die young, caused of a skin cancer.
In fishing areas in Tanzania, where poverty is combined with superstition, it isn’t treating as a marginalized, but as a murder. 20 people with albinism were killed and maimed in the last year.
The president of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete, is determined to end with the superstition and he said in a televised speech last month that he will finish with the ideas of the sorcerers. So far they have arrested more than a hundred people involved in the murders and it has been appointed the first parliamentary albino, Al Shaymaa Kwegyr, to combat against the discrimination that people suffered with this genetic condition.
The “TAS” is the Organization of Albinos in Tanzania, which count with the help of Action on Disability and Development, that is looking that the albinism is recognized as a disability.
Between the first tasks of Kwegyr is to conduct a census of people with albinism to ensure their access to education and health treatments.
Sometimes in occasions, mothers are accused of having sex with white men, in others, to have maintained relations with “tokoloshes”, evil spirits.
It’s estimated that there are more than 200,000 albinos in Tanzania. South Africa is one of the few countries, which recognizes the genetic condition as a disability
There are more albinos in Africa than anywhere else in the world. In fact, the first Portuguese colonizers designated these humans as a breed apart.
Our teacher showed us the news of the newspaper "El País" from the day, 6th of May of 2008. The news surprised us greatly; it spoke about the plight of albinos in Tanzania. Where, nothing else birth, they are rejected. Usually by their fathers, who abandoned their children’s and their mothers. For the fathers, the mothers are the guilty of the condition.
These children have got many difficulties at school to see to the blackboard. Teachers and classmates discriminate and insult these people. Finding a job is very difficult, they are marginalized. The albinos suffer problems optical and the African sun, harsh, causing sores and burn them. Many albinos die young, caused of a skin cancer.
In fishing areas in Tanzania, where poverty is combined with superstition, it isn’t treating as a marginalized, but as a murder. 20 people with albinism were killed and maimed in the last year.
The president of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete, is determined to end with the superstition and he said in a televised speech last month that he will finish with the ideas of the sorcerers. So far they have arrested more than a hundred people involved in the murders and it has been appointed the first parliamentary albino, Al Shaymaa Kwegyr, to combat against the discrimination that people suffered with this genetic condition.
The “TAS” is the Organization of Albinos in Tanzania, which count with the help of Action on Disability and Development, that is looking that the albinism is recognized as a disability.
Between the first tasks of Kwegyr is to conduct a census of people with albinism to ensure their access to education and health treatments.
Sometimes in occasions, mothers are accused of having sex with white men, in others, to have maintained relations with “tokoloshes”, evil spirits.
It’s estimated that there are more than 200,000 albinos in Tanzania. South Africa is one of the few countries, which recognizes the genetic condition as a disability
There are more albinos in Africa than anywhere else in the world. In fact, the first Portuguese colonizers designated these humans as a breed apart.
Jennifer and Silvia
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