PHALOMBE ALBINISM FESTIVAL
PHALOMBE MP COMMEND LAWILINK FOR THE ALBINISM FESTIVAL
Member of Parliament (MP) for Phalombe south constituency, Mrs Mary Kuzampanga commended Lawilink for organizing an Albinism festival on Friday at Namasoko primary school in Phalombe. The festival was called Albino my Friend and its aim was to sensitize and create awareness to remove the myth that the society has on people with albinism.
Speaking in an interview Mrs Mary Kuzampanga commended Lawilink for choosing Phalombe as a first district for its annual albino festival. “I would like to thank Lawilink for choosing Phalombe as its first district for the annual albino festival. We were living in fear because recently an albino boy called Alfred Chigalu was attacked by knifes. However the festival has assisted people to realize that we are all equal and that body parts of people living with albinism are not different from us and can’t help someone in wealth or lucky rituals,” she said.
Mrs Mary Kuzampanga also emphasized that the perpetrators need to be given stiffer punishments if they are proven guilty. “I have discovered that these attacks are increasing every day because there is no stiffer punishment being given. If we need this inhuman behavior to curb we must revive our laws and start giving severely punishments to the attackers”, she said.
According to the Project Manager for Lawilink, Elizabeth Machinjili said Lawilink chose the Phalombe district first for the annual persons with albinism (Albino my Friend) festival due to the statistics has shown, that Phalombe and the surrounding districts like Mulanje have registered a lot of abductions and killings of people with albinism. Mrs Machinjili further said; the annual albino festivals which Lawilink will be conducting in each and every district respectively will help to change the mind set of people towards the people living with albinism.
During the festival, Lawilink presented skin cream, sun glasses and long sleeved shirts to people with albinism in order to avoid the burning of skin as well as the risk of dwelling in the realm of cancer. The items were donated by Queens Elizabeth Hospital in Blantyre with a demonstration of how to apply the cream from Zac Darkes and Mrs Machinjili. Globe Electronics also funded the event by providing money.
Meanwhile sub inspector August Mkhwazi from Phalombe police station has hailed all the people in Phalombe to have tranquility. “Am urging everyone in Phalombe to be calm and continue working hard because we are trying to stabilize our security by patrolling day and night. As well as people should not hesitate to report to the nearest police station if they suspect something or anyone.”
Some of the districts prone to killing and abducting of albinos include Machinga, Mchinji as well as districts bordering Mozambique and Tanzania. So far 16 people with albinism have been attacked whereby six people were killed since last year December.
*The international community of disabled women living with hiv and (aids icwdisabled.hivmw@gmail.com) contributed to the performances and wowed the crowd. Annies Luka from Phalombe Lawilink event manager for the district put on a well organised, fabulous event even her own dance troop performed on the day.
By Fatsileni Asamu
