Tanzania: A home for children with albinism to change their lives
By Dorota Abdelmoula-Viet
Tanzania is associated with the splendour of the African landscape, but it is also one of the poorest countries in Africa. Alongside its poverty runs the violent pagan belief that talismans made from body fragments from individuals with albinism can bring prosperity.
Although these seem to be isolated cases, especially since the law prohibits such practices, Sr Amelia Jakubik, CSL, one of the two Loreto Sisters serving in Mwanza, Tanzania, explains that brutality is still a daily occurrence.
“Here, in our territories, a month ago a two-year-old girl was killed; we are helping a second-grader who, a few days ago, was attacked at home, and another child was skinned,” recounts the sister.
The Loreto Sister, together with her community sister and Fr. Janusz Machota, sma run a home for albino children. The largest number of albinos in the world is born in Tanzania, which, according to the latest figures, amounts to 1 in 1,500 births.
A Home, not an institution
“Tanga” is the name of the centre home. This is an important distinction, the managers emphasize. A home built to emulate a large Tanzanian family, so that the young members can fully experience the warmth of a family.
“It was the crazy and innovative idea of Fr Janusz. His wish was to create a home, not another institution”, explains Sr Amelia, a mathematician who, in Africa, abandoned meticulous arithmetic to use “the arithmetic of the heart”.
"At the start, we welcomed 14 young people, girls and boys, to live with us because local families are so large in size, but this was not enough. We currently house 20 children between the ages of 7 and 20," she said. "In the last few years, four people we have cared for have set sail to embark on the voyage of a lifetime. Some are studying, others are trying to find their own way. Without the support and love they received at “Tonga” they would have not believed in themselves."
“Our service is very simple: to be with them, to create a family atmosphere, a place where they can feel wanted, accepted and loved”, the Sister explained. And then to send them to school — in this case to one of the local Montessori schools.
As Sister Amelia explained, education is not only the ticket to fulfilling dreams, but also the answer to the limitations associated with albinism. “They cannot do any outdoor jobs or activities because they risk skin cancer and a number of other diseases”.
Their names are known
“Tanga”, which has been “protecting” children in Tanzania for four years, not only changes their lives, but also the local community, which is beginning to see albinos — often rejected by society and also their families — under a new light.
“We have children who were abandoned at the age of four. Their parents left them at one of the centres, then changed their phone number and place of residence to cut off any further contact”, said Sr Amelia.
Unfortunately, there are many similar stories. The antidote to rejection is acceptance, which begins in the home and is spread to the community. “When we started, we could hear shouting behind us: ‘Oh! Here come the albinos!’ Today we hear: ‘Oh, Lilian! Oh, Teresina is coming!’” said the sister.
The Home is often visited by local children; Sister Amelia together with the other leaders of “Tanga” conducted more than 200 workshops on albinism in Tanzania in the years 2021 and 2022 alone.
Fear and shame slowly subside. “I will never forget the gratitude of a 14-year-old mother when she learned that we would take care of her daughter, whom she abandoned at birth. She, who was once ashamed of her daughter, now boasts about her.”
The discreet power of faith
When asked how the sisters’ activities are viewed in the area, Sister Amelia replied: “They realise that we do not come here to make a profit, but to love them. And they welcome us very warmly.”
The warm welcome is also followed by the grace of faith, which is discreetly poured into the hearts of the children in our care. “Tanga” does not require that the young people belong to the Church.
“We do not ask their religion or beliefs, we simply accept those who need it the most”, she explained, adding that among the children there are Muslims, Adventists and those searching for faith. "We already have three children who have been baptised by Fr Janusz. This is not our merit, we do not force them, but we show with gestures what our faith consists of. They see how we pray, how we participate in the daily Eucharist. They see where we get our strength from."
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