Kabale Albinos Living in Fear Due to Increased Demand of Body Parts in Rwanda and Tanzania.

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 s...

In the first quarter of 2017, SCOSP made a landmark when the first interface meeting was held in Kisoro District of south western Uganda. The meeting targeted people with albinism under SCOSP and the Kisoro District local government leaders, community leaders, and representatives from CSOs.  This was aimed at providing space for the children and caregivers of children with albinism to reframe the conversation around albinism and instigate lasting change. The leaders unanimously agreed to provide the necessary support always whenever we have advocacy activities. The chairman LC V  of Kisoro District hailed the work of SCOSP and  pledged to always participate in the NGO activities in his district. He promised to take advocacy issues that were raised by people with albinism to the District council for further discussion and where possible amplify the voices of people with albinism in Kisoro at a higher level.  By Michael Sabiiti, Founder and Executive Director.

KABALE ALBINO CHILD SURVIVES BEING BEHEADED BY SUSPECTED ALBINO HUNTER. Matthias an albino child aged 1 year and 6 months was cut with a panga by one Alex Nkabibasa on 7th July 2015 when his mother (Prossy) was coming from up in the mountains to harvest beans. The crime was committed in Mugwara, Kitnaga Kashmbya Subcounty, Rukiga County, Kabale District. According to Prossy, the ccriminal Alex Nkabibasa way laid them with a Panga at around 8:00pm as she came from the mountain. “I had my baby at the back , when it was at night at around 8:00pm when Alex joined us as we walked down hill. We moved with him and he had nothing in his hands but later he went to his home and while we were walking below the terrace, he showed up and said that he had gotten an opportunity and Prossy humbly did not take it seriously that someone he knew would not do such a thing” Said Prossy. Prossy is a casual laborer and she is very needy and they survive on the little earned from the daily hard labour i...

For bringing shame to his family, a father of nine in Kabale District has been accused by his wife of attempting to kill four of their children. Their crime – they were born albinos. For bringing shame to his family, a father of nine in Kabale District has been accused by his wife of attempting to kill four of their children. Their crime – they were born albinos. The mother, Ms Medius Kyarisima, 50, says she had no choice but to flee her marital home in Kinyamari Butanda Sub-county and take refuge at her mother’s place in the neighbouring sub-county of Bufundi. “Last month, my husband Godfrey Ndabahwerize threatened to kill our four Albino children, saying they were a disgrace to his family,” she said. “When I tried to reason with him, he picked a panga and cut me on the right side of my nose. I packed my belongings and those of my albino children and we went to my mother’s place for refuge,” she adds. Mr Barnett Champion, the Butanda Sub-county chairperson, who is privy to th...

Kabale Albinos Living in Fear Due to Increased Demand of Body Parts in Rwanda and Tanzania. Albinos in Kabale district are living in extreme fear following reports of increased demand of their body parts for rituals sacrifice in Rwanda and Tanzania. The albinos avoid walking alone while others have abandoned school because of fear of abduction by traffickers. 14-year-old Unity Mukyotera is a primary six pupil at Hakahumiro Primary school in Bufundi Sub County. Mukyotera says that even her classmates tease her that her body parts are marketable, adding that she can’t move alone to school or fetch water at the well for fear of being abducted.   The minor says that her motherPatience warned her against walking alone after she received information that there were people planning to kidnap her and traffic herto the neighboring Rwanda. Shabohurira has three other children with a similar condition.  She explains that she has decided to keep all her children at home for fear...