5/30/2019

ZIMBABWE'S : ''ALBINISM PAGEANT BREAKS PREJUDICE''


ALBINISM pageant in Zimbabwe breaks down prejudice. 

AYANDA Sibanda, a model with Albinism, has invariably been called ''yellow'' or ''white'' by friends and even some relatives. But she hardly recalls anyone referring to her by her actual race.

''I am black, and that's what I thought, but then I am always made to feel otherwise,'' said the 18-year old who was crowned Miss Albinism Zimbabwe on Friday night.

About 70,000 of Zimbabwe's estimated 16 million people are born with Albinism, according to government figures. They often stand out, making them a subject at times of discrimination, ridicule and dangerously misguided beliefs.

''Some have superstitions that we bring luck or cure HIV,'' said Brenda Mudzimu, organizer of the pageant.

In nearby Malawi and Tanzania, albinos are sometimes killed for their body parts for use in witchcraft. No such killings have been recorded in Zimbabwe.

But people with albinism still say say life is still tough.

The Mr and Miss Albinism Zimbabwe competitions, now in its second year, is a chance to push back. ''I want to be normal for a Albino girl to achieve without being it being a newspaper headline,'' Ayanda said.

''They never say a black girl won Miss Zimbabwe. But if I were to win it, they would all say an albino girl won.''

Friday night crown was her second in four weeks.

last month, she was crowned second princess of Miss Teen Zimbabwe. ''It was open to every race,'' she said. But she said she has been told she lost some other pageants only because of her albinism.

The battle to impress pageant judges started three days earlier in a boot camp with lessons in catwalking and confidence building. Putting this event together was a ''nightmare'', however, because of lack of adequate sponsorship, said organizer Mudzimu.

She said she hoped more sponsors will chip in as the pageant grows and gains more popularity ''like the so-called normal ones''. - AP

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Grace A Comment!