My name is Olive Uzayisenga, I had my first child, Marcelline when I was 20 years old. The midwife immediately noticed that she had albinism after she was born.
sI and my husband were baffled as a young couple and first-time parents. We didn’t know what to do. It’s only my mother would visit us; my other relatives never came to visit. My in-laws were mad at me saying it is my fault. The situation got worse when I had my second daughter, Fiona, she was also albino. My father-in-law would tell my husband that he was going to get him another wife. One day, our house was attacked, and the burglars tried to dig a wall in the children’s bedroom. When I heard people saying they were trying to steal my oldest daughter and sell her to buyers in Congo, where it is said that there is market for human body parts. We immediately called the Police. They sent some agents to protect us for only a week, when they left, we moved in this neighbourhood.
The neighbours would visit me just to get a glimpse of my kids and they would joke about them in front of me. Until today, I can’t even defend my daughters when people make fun of them because I don’t want any problem with people. I must keep peace with my neighbours, because we can’t afford to move all the time. The other kids fear to play with my daughters, so for now, I make sure they play inside the house. It is good for their skin anyways. My husband is great to me, he loves God, she is the head of a charismatic group at our church, he also treats us well. However, I am scared to have other kids, what if we have another albino child. My oldest daughter is now enrolled in a school for children with disabilities and I can’t wait for Marcelline, my last born, to also go to school so I can also start a small business.
