Albino society seeks private sector support
Tanzania Albino Society (TAS) secretary general Zihada Msembo receives a donation from managing partner of Kibuuka law Chambers, Mr Paul Kibuuka, at the Ocean Road Cancer Institute in Dar es Salaam yesterday.PHOTO | CORRESPONDENT
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“We call on more people from the private sector to come out and reach out to our community. Thousands of needy ones can have more through good will practices of the private setor,”
Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Albino Society (TAS) has asked the private sector to extend support to various communities of people with albinism to help them handle their vulnerabilities.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the TAS secretary general Zihada Msembo, said that given what had faced their community in parts of the country since 2008, it was important to reach out to people with albinism as the hunt for them by unscrupulous people meant that many were psychologically tortured and some pushed out of their economic activities.
She was speaking during an event at Ocean Road Cancer Institute where a Dar es Salaam- based law firm, Kibuuka Law Chambers, donated sun screen products and other personal use equipment to the Society.
“We call on more people from the private sector to come out and reach out to our community. Thousands of needy ones can have more through good will practices of the private setor,”she said
Managing Partner at the firm, Mr Paul Kibuuka, said they did this to enhance healthy living among albinos, as part of the firm’s corporate social responsibility (CSR), this was part of their programme to implement their public involvement initiatives. Mr Kibuuka said that the donation was part of his firm’s support to beat the challenges faced by albinos.
Sun screen is a cream used by albinos to protect themselves from the direct rays of the sun so to prevent cancer of the skin, which they are naturally prone to. He said persons living with albinism should be seen as any other human being, adding that ``there should be a feeling of oneness.’’ For her part, Ms Msembo commended the firm, for its effort to promote the welfare of albinos.
Recently, it was reported that persons with albinism in the country will have essential protective gear as Kilimanjaro Sunscreen Production Unit (KSPU), which is working under Regional Dermatology Training Centre (RDTC) at KCMC has started producing locally lotions for a manageable price.
Most of the PWAs are not able to buy the lotion. According to 2012 census, Tanzania has a total of about 5,200 people with albinism, with most of them living in the lake zone regions.
