Project Albinos

report, september 2012

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What does suffering from albinism in Tanzania mean? What are the problems which these people face daily in the community where they live? What social-health assistances do these men, women and children need in order to improve their life conditions? These questions and other suggestions about the albinism in Africa have led Tulime to make a plan in order to help albinos who live in almost a hundred villages in Kilolo district. After two weeks from the beginning of the survey, we can say we have some real evidence of those problems which at first were only mere suppositions. And the real need of our survey came stronger after the meeting with the representatives of AFEA (Albinism Foundation of East Africa) in Dar es Salam, where we realized that there are no of official data about the amount of albinos in Kilolo yet, despite the efforts made by the members of this organization. Furthermore, AFEA doesnt have enough economic resources to solve social-health problems of these people.

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The main aim of our project is to ease the pains suffered by albinos living in the Kilolo district through the distribution of photosynthetic and graduated sunglasses, straw hats with wide brims and suntan creams which may protect them by the harsh African sunlight. Our searching began in the village of Magome. We moved to Magome according to the advice we were given by the AFEA exponent of the Kilolo district, whom we met in the homonym provincial base of the district. Through the houses made of bricks, thatched and plate roofs, we met a man suffering from albinism whose skin was clearly compromised by the overexposure to the burning sun of Africa.

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What we saw with our own eyes is beyond all expectations. This farmer of Magome, obliged to go daily to the fields in order to feed his six children and family, was affected by a wide cancerous area near his right-ear which reached out the whole side of his face. The continuous overexposure to the sun is the main cause of this cancer which needs an immediate operation, as we could see with our own eyes. could see with our own eyes. After examining all the possible approaches, we decided to move this man to the hospital complex in Mtandika, led by St. Thereses sisters. Once we reached the small village, the cancerous wound which scared the right wing of the mans face was promptly medicated and we made sure the dossiers for a future surgery in the skin department in the hospital of Moshi, Kilimanjaro, were opened. The next stage of our action in support of people suffering from albinism led us to a child in Kidabaga, and a couple of brothers in Ilamba. The main troubles with them are: difficulty with eyesight; lack of proper tools to protect their skin; a remarkable social marginalization, due mainly to those social factors which have nothing to do with family, friendship or neighborhood relationships; financial problems, due mainly to the hard conditions of temporary job. The humanitarian action encouraged by Tulime took place in the villages of: Lukani, Kitowo, Mtitu and Utengule. What came

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immediately out is, other than the problems mentioned above, both health and economic, a lack of knowledge of what albinism is and, on the other hand, what the necessary precautions are in order to prevent themselves from health troubles.

The project albinos was started on August 28th 2012 by the Association Tulime ONLUS, together with the local partner Mawaki and thanks to the collaboration with Giulia Tamaro and Giorgio Brocco, Rosa Pellegrino from Albinismo.it, Tulimes medical consultant Dr. Alessandro Iodice, and thanks to the financial support given by the foundation Nando Peretti.

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www.tulime.org

supported by

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