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Introduction 

Meet Nomthandazo Nkomo from Pretoria (South Africa).  She is a teenage girl living with albinism.  She wrote this article for a school presentation as September is Albinism Awareness Month.

Family Background

Growing up around family members who have the same condition (both my parents and my brother live with albinism) as I do has always been something I held close to my heart but after a few years on this earth, I realized that I was seen as a foreign creature.

World View About Albinism 

The world is a place that never seems to get better.  Sometimes I wonder what our ancestors fought for back then and if it was worth it.

Being different is not always a good thing. My skin, eyes and hair lack melanin, worst case my eyes cannot be still and no one is really bothered about this.  

Don't even get me started about the stares of others as confusion is painted on their faces when they come across us.  Something that is mistaken in today's society is that albinism is a condition, not a contagious disease.

Having albinism also means that I can't go to specific places around the world because people with albinism are still killed for their body parts for rituals.  As a girl, I am still vulnerable to many issues and being a black African girl living with albinism still feels like war.  

School Journey 

One memory still lingers in my mind of the time I was a small girl, excited to start my first day of school, only to notice that the other children were acting strange and distant towards me. In the end, I made a few good friends but one of the girls I was friends with started distancing herself from me. I asked why and she said, "My mom said I can't touch you or else my hair and skin will look like yours."This was the moment when I realized that the world hates different.

Throughout my school career, it was and still is a struggle to navigate when topics of race would be brought up.  I knew the question "Are you white or black" was going to pop up. It was hard navigating these types of questions especially when they had no idea about albinism.

Teachers didn't make things easier either, the number of times I had to beg them to remember the A3 papers I needed to see the questions so that I am reasonably accommodated in class.  I could have complained, but after a while, I decided to resolve the problems myself instead of waiting for my parents to take action. I hated the way it affected me and I completely lost passion for some subjects. 

I am at high school and I am enjoying it.  The teachers are better and understanding, I can ask for assistance and I will get help.

Lingering Questions 

1. When will the world finally see our struggles?
2. When will the blazing sun stop searing our skin?
3. When will others stop touching my pale skin?
4. When will parents teach their kids about us?
5. When will the world show us kindness?
6. When will the world hear us?
7. When will the world see us?

My Hope For The Future

This is the time the world changes.  Having a day when the world sees us and hears us is a day that we can rest from all the torment the world has put us through. All of these battles have taught me that Albinism is not a condition to be ashamed of but rather to be proud of.

Gratitude Note 

Thank you so much for taking your time to read. I cannot wait to share further exciting experiences with you.  Please kindly share this post with as many people as you can as it will help me reach out to the world.

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