By Wallace Mawire.
Harare, Zimbabwe. (News Of The South) – Global Aid Zimbabwe has opened a health clinic in Harare, Zimbabwe to support people living with albinism.
According to Pastor Esther Chari, Director, Global Aid Zimbabwe was registered as trust in Zimbabwe in 2007.
It is reported that the health clinic officially launched on Saturday 15 October, 2016 is to offer free consultations to people living with albinism who are affected by many ailments mainly caused by excessive exposure to sun rays.
Pastor Chasi said that her organisation is involved in charitable work which involves supplying medical items and equipment to hospitals and other like minded institutions since 2007.The organisation also supports orphans especially in schools to improve their livelihoods.
“Since 2009, we have been conducting an initiative to source sunscreen lotions, distributing hats and other protective clothing to support people living with albinism,” Pastor Chasi said.
She added that her trust has also been conducting community campaigns to bring awareness on issues affecting people living with albinism. They also conduct campaigns at churches including an annual christmas party event for such people.
Currently the organisation is conducting its activities around Harare communities but intends to roll out massive countrywide reach out programmes including rural areas to reach affected people.
“In our database, we have at least 500 or more people who live with albinism whom we are working with to offer kind support. These are composed of all ages including babies, teenagers and adults,” Chari said.
She also said that the clinic is to offer counseling and psychosocial support to people living with albinism.
“We also counsel parents when a child with albinism is born so that they accept to live with the reality shun myths which come from some community members not knowledgable on albinism issues,’ Chasi added.
In some communities, in Zimbabwe and other parts of the world, some marriages have broken down when some couples do not want to accept the natural God given phenomena of bearing children with genetic components of albinism.
“Our project to support people living with albinism has been going on for the past seven years and we have a holistic approach of confronting the problem from many angles,” Chasi said.
She also said that her organisation was partnering with various medical practitioners to offer services to support affected people.
It is also understood that the trust will also conduct awareness raising campaigns at the recently opened clinic every Saturday and in communities around Harare initially.
Chasi also said that her trust was negotiating with various partners especially from the medical fraternity to source free medications for people living with albinism.
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