Tanzania’s People With Albinism Join Hands With  STAMICO In Implementing Rafiki Briquettes Project

By Prosper Makene, Geita

Tanzania’s People with Albinism (PWA) have teamed up with the State Mining Corporation (STAMICO) to implement Rafiki Briquettes project aims to make the PWA environmental conservation ambassadors but also seeks to empower them financially and economically.

Speaking on behalf of the local community with skin impairment at the ongoing Geita International Mining Technology Expo, Maiko Salali, the Director of the Foundation for Disability Hope (FDH) said that most of the people with albinism have succeeded in employing themselves by becoming agents for the marketing of the environment –friendly charcoal.

Salali has also lauded Hon. President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan for improving their welfare, including the availability of sunscreen lotion and other medical services, as well as unlocking expanded economic opportunities.

“Her Excellency President Dr Samia has worked tirelessly to make Tanzania a better sky for them to survive since when ascended to power,” he said.

He added: “Formerly, the albino community in Tanzania used to face a number of serious challenges, including poor access to health services, chiefly the sunscreen oil, but also, poor access to participate and benefiting from diverse economic opportunities that have been cropping up.”

“Most of the households with children/ people with albinism in the country used to live in abject poverty to the tune of not having financial muscle to purchase sunscreen lotions, as well as the other needed facilities to protect them from sun rays, saying the government was working to solve the challenge,” he observed.

Apart from that, he said various efforts on environmental conservation being implemented across the country by the government in sync with the private sector have helped to protect the albinisms in the country from contracting skin cancer.

“Relevant research established that skin cancer limits persons with albinism to a life expectancy of less than forty (40) years, especially in Africa, whereby in Tanzania only 2 percent of persons with albinism survive skin cancer to reach the age of 40,” he detailed.

He praises the decision announced by the government to set up a special clinic for meting out key medical services towards albinism in all regions across the country, saying the plan will place them in a comfortable place to access better health services.

Salali spoke about the importance for the government to increase the production and availability of the sunscreen lotion, added: "It is very disconcerting that the Kilimanjaro Christians Medical Center (KCMC), through its Kilimanjaro Sunscreen Production Unit (KSPU) has reduced production of the sunscreen lotions,"

The KSPU, is the only facility in the country which produces and freely distributes locally-made sunscreens, dubbed, 'Kilisun' that are specifically designed for people with albinism across Tanzania.

Records show that sunscreen provision is alarmingly poor across Africa, as the lotions are not widely available, and are usually donated from abroad.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), albinism is a genetically inherited disorder resulting from a lack of pigmentation (melanin) in the hair, skin and eyes, causing vulnerability to the sun and bright light.