ALBINOS ARE HUMAN TOO (AIR-CLINIC CONTEST #7)

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Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It’s beyond me.

Albinos are human who were born with an absence of skin and hair pigmentation and as a results making them have pale hair, eyes, and skin.

The physical appearance of persons with albinism is often the object of erroneous beliefs and myths influenced by superstition, which foster their marginalization and social exclusion.

The voice of Nancy Chukujeku tells the story of over 1000 Nigerian albinos, mostly women.

Born into a family of poor traders with no schooling, Nancy began life as a domestic worker in Lagos when she was 12 years old. Unable to balance work and school, she had to drop out of school numerous times.

At work, Nancy would be beaten and taunted whenever she broke something, often called lazy and even a "witch" because of how she looked. The physical and psychological abuse was compounded by sexual abuse from the young men in the household where she worked. The worst of it all most times Nancy was not paid.

"I only started to receive a salary as a domestic worker when I was 21," she told a gathering of albinos at a conference organized by Air-clinic. "Until that age, my payment were in used clothes and food. I did not have a right to vacations or any basis right."

At age 16, her employers took her to Abuja to work, without any authorisation from her relatives in Aba.

Such was Nancy’s life until she heard on the radio about meetings on albinism organized by Air-clinic. She attended one meeting and thus began her journey from a suffering young woman with low confidence to a leader in the fight for the rights of discrimination of albinos.

Nancy is now President of the National Association of Albinos in Nigeria.

In a recent interview, Nancy thanked and praised Air-clinic for their wonderful work and excellent contributions to the society.

Word count: 345

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