By Anneline Mathiba, Cameroon
A 32-year-old former nurse of Bamenda-Cameroon, Ngom Maseline Anwi, has been awarded Golden Excellence Award in Albinism activism.
Dreams Network Foundation, organizers of the awards said, they awarded Ngom Maseline Anwi for her dedication to fighting for the rights of persons with albinim through the activities of her organisation, Association for the Welfare of Albinism (AWA).
Mr Fah Elvis, a member of the organizing team said, “AWA was nominated for this award based on the great work that they have been doing as far as protecting the rights of people with albinism is concerned. We have been able to carry out some groundwork, investigating the objectives and implementations of the activities of AWA. Our investigative team found them fit for the award which is more of an encouragement for AWA to keep doing the great work of defending the rights of people with albinism,”
The Golden Excellence Award recognizes and awards organisations in the West African country whose activities benefit the community.
Anwi was presented with a trophy and certificate.
In 2016, Ngom Maseline Anwi, who is herself a person with albinism, founded AWA to fight for the rights of people with albinism.
The organisation engages government agencies responsible for human rights, as well as providing skincare products, teaching life skills to people with albinism for them to make a living and feed their families.
Anwi said, “The first reason why I decided to go with this initiative was from my experience in school in Yaoundé (the capital city of Cameroon). I saw the need for persons with albinism to be regarded as human beings in the society. I used to see how people with albinism were isolated and mocked by teachers, because of how they could not see on the board”.
She lamented that in Cameroon, persons with albinism were not respected, adding that “for example, no one would dare take a wife with albinism, and nobody needs to pay a bride price for a person with albinism”.
SOURCE: ThisAbilityNews