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Account supervisor, MACOHA Weaving Factory; Board Member, Association of Persons with Albinism; Albinism Activist

Madalo Kajadza Malawi

I was born in Jinji, a district in Malawi that shares a border with Zambia.My mother was schoolteacher; my father was my best-friend growing up and still is today. My mother tried to educate the other children about persons with albinism and to make sure I was not excluded from activities. I had a great childhood experience and did not experience any stigma. Only after I moved to Balaka at the age of 7 and changed schools, did I experience bullying.

It psychologically damaging for people to call me out of my name, terms like ‘mzungu’ (white person), ‘napweri’(pigeon pea that has just been boiled) and raw tomato).

I am currently an account supervisor for MACOHA weaving factory. I am one of the youngest females in the organization. I am also the youngest female member on the board of the Association of Persons with Albinism. I credit my achievements to the great support my family gave me.

I have been called ‘millions’ by people in the streets and it made me feel like I was not human, I feared for my life. I was called ‘millions’ because people think our body parts can make them rich. I had to turn down a job that was offered to me. I feared for my life so I could not accept the job as I would have to be based in Machiga district, one of the districts experiencing most of the violence perpetrated against persons with albinism. Recently, a man in the streets grabbed my breasts and I was really upset by the actions. I don’t know if it had anything to do with me being a person with albinism, or simply, being a woman.

#CelebratingWomenWithAlbinism