As Seen By Susan: LEARNING & DISCOVERY IN ARUSHA: PART 1

Albino Peacemakers

Our first full day in Arusha signaled the beginning of the base trip--Serengeti Safari. It was filled with many opportunities, only one of which, was actually mentioned in our itinerary. But experience had already told me not to worry. Lenny would make sure we had many chances for learning and discovery.

After winding through the back roads of Arusha occasionally sighting views of Mount Muru, we made our first stop. Behind this foreboding albeit interesting wall was the home of the Albino Peacemakers.

For the past 50+ years Martha Mganga has lived with her albinism. As the first-born of three siblings with albinism out of seven brothers and sisters, she was psychologically abused by her father, bullied and discriminated against by her teachers and classmates, and attacked and accused of being a curse by her neighbors for causing everything from bad harvests to seasonal weather changes. Yet, she was lucky as many albino children are killed shortly after birth. Others are gruesomely murdered or dug up from their graves for their body parts which are used in witchcraft rituals.

Mganga admits being driven to suicide several times in her teens, but remarkably was spared and instead became Tanzania's foremost advocate for children and adults with albinism. For 40+ years she has been educating the community, counseling people with albinism and their families, and helping them access health care and education. In 2006 Sister Martha Mganga registered Albino Peacemakers. Since then donations from other non-profit groups and individuals have allowed her work to grow.

It is impossible to tell from the street what life-changing and educational work
goes on behind this wall.

Today Albino Peacemakers is a fully functioning non-profit organization and includes a women's sewing cooperative. The sewing group began after a chance encounter with Sandy Andersen, a woman traveler from Oregon. After three annual week-long visits to Arusha as well as long distance communication via e-mail and YouTube videos, she taught the initial group of albino women how to sew and design fabric items which they sell on location or in stores around Arusha. This work provides jobs for this otherwise under-served and discriminated group of Tanzanian citizens.

These are just some of the many functional fabric items made by the women in the Albino Peacemakers sewing cooperative.

Without the melanin in the skin, people with albinism suffer from
peeling skin, chapped lips, and poor eyesight. In addition,
nearly all albinos in Tanzania develop dangerous precancerous
lesions by age 20 and many die before age 40.

By working here, the women can work outside but in the shade
wearing long sleeves to protect themselves from the
life-threatening effects of the sun.

As part of my own learning and discovery, I tried my hand at sewing on this old-fashioned treadle
sewing machine. I remember learning to sew as a 7th grader but not on a machine quite like this.

These beautiful vintage sewing machines were donated by Rotary Club which also focuses on cancer prevention

and treatment through training health workers and providing medical equipment.

This lovely woman greeted us upon our arrival and then related her story of giving birth to her first son who is an albino. Quickly she witnessed first-hand how he was shunned by members of her own family along with her neighbors, and she knew she had to do something. As a result, she began educating herself and then her family and community about the condition while advocating for her son. When her son was only three months old, she met Martha Mganga and the women of Albino Peacemakers, and now she works with them to continue their educational outreach.