Stop stigmatising us, albinos tell Nigerians
by Sodiq Oyeleke
The Albino Foundation, Lagos State Chapter, has called on Nigerians to stop stigmatisation of discrimination against albinos.
Rather than stigmatising them, the Albino Foundation said that
they should be loved, respected and treated equally with other Nigerians.
The state Coordinator of AF, Mrs. Yejide Omolola, said
this during a seminar organised by the Gold Link Albino Foundation to foster the
cause of albinism by educating the albinos in Lagos.
She lamented that Nigerians had misconceptions about the
albinos. These misconceptions, she said, were responsible for the discrimination
against albinos in the country.
She added, “Albino can take almost everything other human
beings can take. Albinos take salt; salt has nothing to do with albino. Albinos
are special, an average albino is brilliant. It is a natural endowment. Albinism
is not a disease it is just a defect.
“They are advised to keep off from the sun to prevent them from
skin cancer. Nature has its own way of blessing people, an average albino hardly
falls sick.”
Omolola advised that albinos should not be given names that
would lead to their rejection in the society.
She said, “Albino should not be seen as a deity or someone to
be worshipped as an idol. He should also not be seen as an animal for rituals or
sacrifice to the gods. People say albinos beg, but it is not only albino people
who beg, we have a lot of black people who beg. So, if an albino decides to beg,
it is his or her choice.
“Albinos are normal human being with just a defect and it is
not contagious. Some people even believe that is a crime for an albino to touch
them.”
Source: The Punch Newspaper - http://www.punchng.com/health/stop-stigmatising-us-albinos-tell-nigerians/
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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