We don’t know what 6-year-old Mary and her 4-year-old brother John must have gone through to cry at the mere sight of a camera. We cannot show you their faces. Here at the Home in Kasisi, the priority is their welfare and safety. We want to do everything we can to make sure that, in the loving arms of the sisters and aunties, the children forget the danger as soon as possible.
At least ten albino children are mutilated or killed every year in Zambia. According to a 2009 Red Cross report, the hunts (for that is what it should be called) are carried out at the behest of local shamans, willing to pay up to $75,000 for all the limbs. Why is this! Because of a superstitious belief. Magical ‘potions’ are made from parts of albino bodies to ensure wealth, fame or good fortune. Parents not infrequently also become victims in an attempt to protect their children.
In Kasisi, albino children receive special care. Regardless of the cost or effort – we do not condone violence against children, and the sisters will do everything to protect their charges and provide them with a normal, happy childhood.
Children with albinism, in addition to their typical childhood needs, require constant special care. From nursery to high school, they always need to be watched over, which is why we organise private education for our kids in Kasisi. The children also have extremely sensitive eyes and suffer from astigmatism (up to -15 diopters), so they require constant eye care.
Today we are asking you to care for two children whose lives are at risk. Your permanent adoption, regardless of the amount, will allow us to finance their safe education and all ongoing medical expenses. The love from day one at Kasisi has been taken care of by the sisters, who tirelessly, through dozens of cuddled hours, prove to the siblings that their nightmare is over and from now on they can simply be children. Check in with Mary and John today and give the children a real childhood!
A school kit includes notebooks, allowing children to study at home. It also includes a pair of shoes, which, if not for Kasisi, they would have to borrow from their siblings. And finally, a delicious, healthy sandwich in the backpack, which gives them the energy they need for their studies. Just like the sandwich their mother would prepare. You can pack one into their backpack today—from right here, from your own home.