​Rosina Mamorobela

Albinism Awareness Month is commemorated annually in September to educate people about the condition as well as to stop discrimination against people living with albinism.
District Human Genetics Unit at Soshanguve Block TT Clinic in collaboration with Albinism Society of South Africa (ASSA) hosted an awareness campaign to empower community, through talks and distribution of information materials to impart knowledge on the condition.
Speaking during the campaign, the District Human Genetic Coordinator, Anna Motswagae said: "People living with albinism are just like you and me. The only difference that we have is that they lack melanin pigment which is the pigment that gives our skin color. This lack of melanin pigment can be the results of heredity when parents have albinism or can be inherited in an autosomal recessive manner, whereby both parents appear unaffected but carry one faulty gene and one normal. Other than that, we are the same. We should stop killing them and using them for rituals. They are our brothers and sisters".
Faith Manzere coordinator at Albinism Society of South Africa, who is also a mother to a child living with albinism shared her experience with pregnant women who were in attendance on how it feels to give birth to a child living albinism. 
"When I gave birth to my child, I realized that my child is different. I was scared. But when you have the right information you start to accept your child. You do not hide them or lock them up in your house. Accept your child. The family will also accept them. Once you and your family love and care for your child, then the whole community will also accept your child".