Albinism: a life of ambiguity – a Zimbabwean experience

Abstract

I argue that people with albinism lived in ambiguity. I also assert that the double meaning happened because albinism was linked to water spirits and ascribed/notional celibacy. I also maintain that the biggest obstacle preventing people with albinism from taking full part in Zimbabwean society derives from African traditional religious myths and beliefs, which made them to live in ambiguity. These persist today and stigmatize people with albinism. I also assert that, viewed from the ritual murder and raping context, albinism was believed to bring good health, financial and material wealth, but when examined from the blemish context, people with albinism must be discriminated and killed because they were a curse to the community, for their presence result in natural calamities such as droughts and floods, human, animal and plant diseases and deaths. The research findings were that ambiguity in which people with albinism live was caused by the fact that albinism was linked to water spirits and ascribed celibacy. The research also found that the double meaning of albinism was fuelled by the occult market and a lack of scientific and technological development as well as by poverty and the failure of academic education to produce material prosperity.

Influence of social stigma on subjective well‐being of persons with albinism in Ghana

“…Our results compare favourably with those of Wan () who found social stigma to be pervasive among PWA in the United States and Canada. They are also consistent with the results of Machoko (), who investigated the experiences of PWA in Zimbabwe and found that they were stigmatised to the point of becoming subjects of physical attacks. Machoko () concluded that respondents perceived PWA in the following way “… people with albinism must be discriminated and killed because they were a curse to the community, for their presence result in natural calamities such as droughts and floods, human, animal and plant diseases and deaths.” (p. 318).…”

“…They are also consistent with the results of Machoko (), who investigated the experiences of PWA in Zimbabwe and found that they were stigmatised to the point of becoming subjects of physical attacks. Machoko () concluded that respondents perceived PWA in the following way “… people with albinism must be discriminated and killed because they were a curse to the community, for their presence result in natural calamities such as droughts and floods, human, animal and plant diseases and deaths.” (p. 318). In addition, Baker et al () reported that social stigma, including myths and superstitious beliefs, directed at PWA in South Africa and Zimbabwe, has had profound influence on their subjective well‐being, because the stigma did not only affect their family life, it also affected their access to employment, education, and marriage.…”

“…PWA in Ghana, like their counterparts in other African countries such as in Malawi (Braathen & Ingstad, 2006), in Tanzania (Brocco, 2015), in Kenya (Ikuomola, 2015), and in South Africa and Zimbabwe (Baker et al, 2010), experience social stigma and physical attacks that affect their subjective well-being (Akoyam, 2015;Boateng, 2015). As is the case in many countries in Africa (see, e.g., Baker & Lund, 2017;Braathen & Ingstad, 2006;Machoko, 2013), superstitious beliefs about albinism seem to create preconditions for stigmatisation and violence against PWA in Ghana. For example, Abdul-Karim (2017) reported that a PWA was almost killed when he travelled to a community in the Eastern Region of Ghana in search of work.…”

“…For example, Baker, Lund, Nyathi, and Taylor (2010) described instances where PWA in South Africa and Zimbabwe were killed or left to die by their families because of the social stigma associated with their condition. In addition, PWA in Zimbabwe were viewed as belonging to a magical world capable of doing good or evil (Machoko, 2013).…”

Myths and Stereotypes: The Lived Experiences of People with Albinism

“…Self-esteem is related to personal beliefs about skills, abilities, and social relationships. Self-esteem is also defined as a global barometer of self-evaluation involving cognitive appraisals about general self-worth and affective experiences of the self that are linked to these global appraisals [12]. By the same token, [13] stated that self-esteem involves an evaluation of oneself followed by an emotional reaction towards oneself.…”