African Photo Magazine Issue #6

Albino Beauty Pageant
REDEFINES BEAUTY AMID PERSECUTION
I
n Africa, Albinism is associated
with many negative
misconceptions and
superstitions. Seen as a
punishment from God or
bad luck, even a contagious
‘disease’, people living with albinism
(PWA) in Africa often suffer stigma,
alienation and physical abuse.
According to the Albino Association
of Kenya, 90% of people with albinism
in Kenya come from broken homes,
raised by single mothers. Albinism has
the potential to affect young people
both emotionally and psychologically
with social attitudes often affecting how
they perceive themselves. Evidence
from research suggests that for a child
to be socially competent he or she
needs to have a positive self-concept
and demonstrate socially acceptable
behaviours. In October 2016, under
the banner “Beauty Beyond The
Skin”, the world’s first Mr and Ms
Albanism Pageant was organized by
the Albinism Society of Kenya (ASK)
to fight the stigma associated with
albinism and to build the confidence
of albino youth in Kenya. Not only
raising money for Albino’s cancer
treatment, counseling and for the
provision of sunscreen lotion which
helps in prevention of skin cancer, the
Pageant event championed for better
medical services for the challenges
that are characteristic of the condition
and brings to light the need to address
all violations of human rights.
These images are of people with
Albinism taken on assignment for
CNN, by Georgina Goodwin, during
the world’s first Mr and Ms Albinism
Beauty Pageant held in October 2016
[ Georgina Goodwin
https://georgina-goodwin.squarespace.com
[
in Nairobi, Kenya.
16 africanphotomagazine ISSUE 6 JUNE 2017 17