Advocacy and media engagement: Creation of Awareness about the plight of children with albinism in Uganda.

SCOSP led a team that led to the arrest of the suspect, the children were rescued and evacuated. They later joined school and chance they ordinarily hadn't as their parents were not willing to support their education. They are now able to read and right due to the support of SCOSP. They never attended any form of education until SCOSP enrolled them into a safe school. 

 

Children with albinism live in fear due to threats to their lives because they have a misunderstood condition of melanin deficiency. Many myths and ignorance about the condition have left the children and women women with albinism largely at risk of being mutilated, killed for their body parts to be used in magic rituals falsely believed to create wealth in magic concoctions by witch doctors who claim that they can create wealth out of that. Children and women with this condition have received threats from their parents and some members of the extended families. SCOSP continues to make tremendous mile stones to create awareness about the condition. Some of the perpetrators of the crimes against children with albinism have been arrested by police with a tip off from the affected persons. Police border posts have been notified about child trafficking in persons with albinism. The challenges still remain largely due to inadequate funding for the activities of the organization, access to justice and the absence of laws and policies to protect persons with albinism. The absence of the laws to provide protection for the witnesses have left the witnesses worried for their lives when they testify against the culprits thus leading to the delayed or denied justice.  Lack of access to Education for the children as a result of lack of willingness of the parents to provide the school requirement for children with albinism is another hindrance that to is committing the Albinos to chronic unemployment and thus inheriting the cycle of poverty.  By Michael Sabiiti, Founder and Executive Director, SCOSP.