Through his project dubbed The Rescue Mission, Larubi visited over 50 families of people living with albinism and donated the cream.
Disability rights activist, Robert Larubi's commitment to people living with albinism is admirable. When the country went into lockdown, and Northern Uganda, like all the other regions, was cut off, Larubi saw a looming crisis. He knew that the people living with albinism had gone weeks without the much-needed sun cream, and their delicate skin would soon develop blisters.
Sadly, even when the President announced a gradual end to the lockdown, some districts like Gulu, remained in a state of emergency. Speaking to The Irish Times, Larubi said: “People were locked up in their houses, they were giving up.” Quickly, he got onto a motorbike and rode over 400 kilometers into villages in Gulu District. Through his project dubbed The Rescue Mission, Larubi visited over 50 families of people living with albinism and donated the cream.
Despite the harsh sunny conditions, Larubi found many of the children working on a farm. “Their skin was burnt, one already had a lot of wounds on him. The chance of someone rotting away with cancer is very high,” he said.
He also said that there are roughly 5,000 people with albinism in Uganda. This is a condition where someone is born with little or no melanin in their skin. Besides facing stigma, this condition leaves them vulnerable to sunlight; this is difficult in a country like Uganda, where temperatures are high.
Indeed, according to the World Health Organisation, because of this vulnerability, people with albinism are prone to developing skin cancer and visual impairment. Not only do they need consistent medical attention, but they must also use sun cream and sunglasses to protect themselves.
Sadly, Larubi said that many people can’t afford the needed care. In regions like Northern Uganda, which has the highest rates of poverty in the country, sun cream is seen as a luxury, despite being a necessity. When families are financially strained, like they were during the lockdown, sun cream will be the least of their priorities.
By CivSource Team