Global Aid Missions

Founding. In 2007 Global Aid Missions (GAM) was founded by Esther Chasi. Esther and her husband, Fungai, are the proud parents of two young children who also happen to have Albinism. Albinism is a congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in a person’s skin, hair and eyes. Although Esther and Fungai were vaguely aware that individuals living with Albinism in Zimbabwe were an at risk population, it was only after their children were born that they began to fully understand the challenges that lay ahead. As they sought to protect their children and give them the best possible access to education and opportunities, they began to recognize that through education, outreach and advocacy they could not only provide brighter futures to their own children, but also positively affect the lives of the children living with Albinism throughout Zimbabwe. Fueled by passion and the capacity to make a difference, Ester set out to create an organization that would educate children, families and communities about Albinism, distribute protective clothing and sunscreen, and advocate for the rights of children and adults living with Albinism.

Problems Addressed. People born with Albinism are immediately at a greater risk of death, violence, neglect and under-education as a result of their condition. The average lifespan of people living with albinism in Africa is only about 40 years of age – far lower than the average for the continent. This tragically low number is primarily caused by high rates of early death due to skin cancer and violence. Education and social stimulation is also often denied to individuals living with Albinism, thereby increasing their vulnerability and decreasing their ability to advocate for themselves or successfully contribute to their communities.

Sun exposure is an obvious problem for individuals who lack pigment and live in areas with intense sun exposure. Not only does it cause cancer and macular degeneration, it also causes severe and sometimes grotesque changes in the skin, generating negative social reactions. There are no manufacturing facilities for sunscreen on the continent of Africa, meaning that all sunscreen must be imported, increasing its expense considerably. This places sunscreen out of reach for many families who have children with Albinism, especially those living in rural or low-income areas.

In addition to challenges with access to sunscreen, prevalence of certain cultural and social beliefs have led to many deaths and violent murders of individuals living with Albinism in Africa.  In some regions, it is believed that people with Albinism are cursed, while in other areas, their body parts are coveted for use as “medicine.” Perhaps the most harmful recent fallacy is that sex with a female with Albinism will cure a man of HIV. In Zimbabwe and other countries this has led to rapes and subsequent HIV infection of many young women and children living with Albinism.

Approach. GAM’s approach is to utilize direct outreach to mitigate the immediate effects of sun exposure for children living with Albinism, then couple that approach with education and advocacy to help teach not only children, but parents, neighbors, teachers and leaders within the community about the disease and the challenges that these children face. GAM utilizes a broad advocacy strategy to help greater swaths of the population in Zimbabwe understand Albinism and dispel harmful myths. This is achieved through a burgeoning marketing campaign distributed through a variety of influential channels, especially digital methods that can effectively and inexpensively affect younger generations. Meeting with and educating influential community and government leaders is an approach that seeks to affect change at the highest levels. In this way, GAM is able to address both the pressing and immediate needs of children living with Albinism as well as the long-term, more ingrained issues that perpetuate myths, violence and danger.

The Project. It is estimated that 2,000 children with albinism are living in Harare, the province of Zimbabwe in which GAM works. For this project, GAM will target children with Albinism, their families and their communities, providing direct outreach in the form of the distribution of protective clothing, hats and sunscreen to children with albinism along with education about the causes of Albinism and how to protect themselves from the sun. Furthermore, GAM will provide education to parents and community members about the causes of Albinism and how to best support children with the condition. Overall, the program seeks to directly benefit 200 children with albinism and affect over reach and affect over 1,000 members of the community in 2015.