Author: Inverness County Cares Page 1 of 2

By Labson Emmanuel Kaunda

Many people wonder how I survive in this life because I have additional disabilities some of which are noticed and some not.

I am Labson Emmanuel Kaunda, an ABINO child from a family of seven, two boys – both albinos.  Sharon the first born is the only albino girl. She is our pillar in most of the family activities. My father and my mother are still alive but vulnerable. My mother’s body is weak and cannot do much manual work. In most cases she is home, that’s why earlier I said our first born is a pillar of our family activities. Sharon is very responsible and capable, the reason for this is very simple. Sharon was taken to St Mary’s Special School in Kawambwa at the earliest age, because when she was born, my mother left her in the hospital and went away. My sister was kept by a nurse by the name of Brendah Chanda who took care of her until she was four years and at that age she started school at Sr Mary’s, and learned to be responsible. When I was born (third born), I am told my mother had some complications, that resulted in me born as a premature baby. I stayed in hospital for many months. This time she didn’t run away, because she was talked to. When I was growing up, I had some delayed milestones in speaking and walking.

I am a slow learner with limited vision, speech problems and I cannot perform at the same rate with my classmates, hence, watering flowers is one of my favorite jobs and I want to have my own garden of vegetables. It is not in my plan to be under someone, instead I prefer to be independent and supervise myself.

You know what! I am rewriting my grade nine examination, for I am at junior secondary school while my former classmate is at college. This year she came for her second school experience, which means she will finish her tertiary level this year in December. She will then start waiting for deployment. Look at me, still here, but don’t worry I am happy because I am unique with additional disabilities. It is very normal for me.

Last year I wrote and I failed in two subjects, this year I am rewriting English, religious education, and Zambian language. I tell you with confidence that I will pass. I don’t mind when I will finish school, what I want is to be someone useful in life. I have people who can help me and understand my condition. This time I can read, understand and comprehend articles and analyse. This is a great achievement and I am proud of myself.

Sometimes, I am aggressive and my teachers and friends remind me to be patient. I know that I have some characteristics of Autism and my teacher always reminds me of the importance of routine. Look at me that today, I can do most of my house chores, I can cook, make a fire and water the garden. I like flowers especially red flowers. My relationship with my family is average in that, some fail to understand my slowness, but others accept me and we relate well.

My albino brother is fine and he completed his grade 12 last year and is now waiting to go to college next year. Today he is a shopkeeper, the little amount he earns helps the family. My sister Sharon as earlier said, is dependable. She completed her tertiary education in 2020 as a social worker and she is working under the government institution called social welfare and community services and she stays in the next district near our home. This year God willing she will have a baby in August or September. She is married to a teacher who is black. My mother has now come back to her senses, after seeing the positive results from Sharon and that she is supporting the all family. Superstitions are there especially that others are black, but Sharon is a good advocate and she encourages us to interact with others. Thank you to all our supporters in in Canada.

Inverness County Cares (ICC) is a local charitable organization, founded in 2012 and based in Inverness County, NS, Canada. ICC works in partnership with Chalice.ca, a Canadian charity, based in Bedford, Nova Scotia. Chalice provides guidance and assistance to help us provide a better life for the children at the Kawambwa schools. The Kawambwa Project involves supporting two schools for albino and visually impaired students, in Northern Zambia. Inverness County Cares always welcomes new members. Individuals who wish to donate, can use the donate button on our website   https://invernesscountycares.com When using E-transfer, please include your mailing address for CRA tax receipts and a thank you message.   E-transfer address:  [email protected] or send a cheque to Inverness County Cares, 5414 Route 19, Judique, NS, Canada, B0E1P0. Taxation receipts provided for USA and Canada.

 

By Rosalind Kalumba

I am Rosalind, a fourteen-year-old albino girl. I have never lived with my mother; I did see her but at this time I cannot say how she looks as I have limited vision. I have never seen my father, but I saw his coffin, not himself. But that is life. Listen to my story!

I was born outside marriage. My father was at the Teacher Training College when he impregnated my mother who was in grade ten at Nchelenge Secondary School. He was doing his teaching experience for three months, September to November 2008.

When I was born at the hospital in June 2009, my mother immediately expressed her disappointment at having an albino girl baby. She cried and cried, (my grandmother told me this) and breastfeeding me was an issue. When my father was told, he completely refused to acknowledge me… both my parents refused (just imagine)! Through God’s love my grandmother (mother to my father), took full responsibility for me and an agreement was made by the two families that after weaning me, my mother would surrender me to my grandmother. It happened just like that and fortunately I become the favourite of my grandmother. She showed me how to pray because she was dedicated to church and an active member of the St. Anna lay movement and well known at St Paul’s Catholic Church in Nchelenge.

In 2015, on the 29th of June, the feast of St Paul and Peter, my parish celebrated the patron saint of the school. It was the great day when the hospital had an official opening of the eye clinic. Many people where invited and it was at that feast, that Sr Agnes Bwalya saw me and talked to my grandmother at length. My grandmother was very much willing to take me to school. Sr Agnes told my grandmother and my family that, “Rosalind will be taken in August when the school opens”.  August came and I was taken to school where I was very happy and my grandmother told everyone in the family that I had started school, including my father.

My grandmother never minded about the behavior of my father. He started work as a secondary school teacher in North Western Province and never bothered to support me directly, however I benefitted from the money he was sending to my grandmother for buying food.  She became sick and died of malaria when I was in Grade 4. May the soul of my grandmother Rosalind Kalumba rest in peace, amen. I do remember her day and night, and am happy because I was named after her, Rosalind Kalumba.

When my grandmother died, I was taken by my aunt Hellen Musonda, (sister to my father) who was married to a clinical officer and working at Mbereshi hospital. My aunt’s husband loved me so much and supported me and I felt happy to be asked to live with them. I lived with them up to grade five until they divorced and my aunt decided to go back to school because she was married when she was in grade twelve, and my uncle also decided to join his first wife with his four children. My aunt had no child and it could be the reason why they divorced.

I am so lucky, to have people who love me and encourage me to be more focused and have a positive mind set. When I was at St Mary’s Special School in Kawambwa my class teacher Madam Catherine helped me not to think more about the past but concentrate on the present. She introduced me to sports, which I love especially netball, I even have my own ball. I have made a lot of friends out of this game and I spend time playing cards and snakes and ladders with my friends. These indoor games have really developed my mind and I am very good at mathematics and science and religious education, but very poor at cooking (laugh).

Now when I was in grade seven in 2020, stories about my father’s sickness reached my ears, I felt no impact because I had never seen him, and when he died and his body was taken to Nchelenge for burial. I didn’t view his body because I didn’t know him, I just saw the coffin and I didn’t cry, I was just looking at people and immediately after burial I went back to school with Madam Catherine.

When I was in Grade six the elder brother to my Father (where am staying now) decided to take me because he had found a job in the ministry of Agriculture and was posted to Northern Province. Because of the distance, Sr Agnes and my family decided that I should join St Odilia Special School in grade eight. It was not easy for me but I had no option. I never wanted to leave my friends especially Promise Mambwe.

I wrote my grade seven composite examination and passed with good marks and I am at St Odilia in Grade 9. This year I will be writing my final examinations for me to enter the senior secondary level.

My social interaction with the community and other family members is good. I have a lot of friends at home and I interact well with my age mates especially Rhodah who is also albino but learning at the Mbala special unit. I have introduced her to sports and we meet from time to time. She is also in grade nine like myself. During holidays we study very hard and she has helped me to have a positive mind set.

This year I represented my school during Social Science District Competition and I won and came first in Religious Education, junior category. My subject under discussion was prayer. It was a paper presentation and I came second. What an achievement! (Smile with me).

Life is what you make of it.

Thank you to Inverness County Cares and Chalice. We truly appreciate your support.

Inverness County Cares (ICC) is a local charitable organization, founded in 2012 and based in Inverness County, NS, Canada. ICC works in partnership with Chalice.ca, a Canadian charity, based in Bedford, Nova Scotia. Chalice provides guidance and assistance to help us provide a better life for the children at the Kawambwa schools. The Kawambwa Project involves supporting two schools for albino and visually impaired students, in Northern Zambia. Inverness County Cares always welcomes new members. Individuals who wish to donate, can use the donate button on our website   https://invernesscountycares.com When using E-transfer, please include your mailing address for CRA tax receipts and a thank you message.   E-transfer address:  [email protected] or send a cheque to Inverness County Cares, 5414 Route 19, Judique, NS, Canada, B0E1P0. Taxation receipts provided for USA and Canada.

By Betshaba Bwebya

My dream has always been to make a difference for my family.

I am Betshaba Bwebya. I am the last born and the only girl in a family of six and the only albino child in the family. As an albino I have limited sight and my lack of melanin exposes me to the damaging rays of the sun.

My mother and father went for a blessing to pray for a girl before I was conceived. When I was born albino, both my parents were greatly disappointed, especially my father. My mother was asked to go live with her parents for some time. Instead of her staying at her parents’ home for the usual two weeks as per tradition, she was asked to stay until such a time when my father would feel that the time was right for her to return with a white looking baby. In reality it was an indirect divorce and my mother was upset and her family members as well.  Nothing could be done to change such attitudes.

While living at my grandmother’s place, my mother was not very active and my grandmother did everything for me. Our community did not know my mother well because she did not take me out with her. I was always with my grandmother, at church and at the market place, where she was a trader. She was alone after the death of my grandfather and vowed not to get married, so I was the beloved granddaughter.

All my two aunties and three uncles live on their own and my mother when she was home had her own stories. In short, I became my grandmother’s best friend. I called my grandmother “Mum” and my biological mother, Aunty. It has stayed that way and now it is very difficult for me to change. When I was nine months, my mother was permitted to go to her home and cook for my father and my siblings and do some laundry and then come back and care for me. My upbringing was a challenge because my mother then joined my father on condition that I should be kept by someone else. She left me behind and my siblings never associated with me freely. My cousins instead became my family. Wooo! Woooo! I love them. I was getting my energy from them.

I didn’t know that my parents were still alive until when I was 16 years old. I found out during the funeral of my wonderful grandmother who loved me so much. May her soul rest in peace. Father Luke, our parish priest played an important role in my education, for he helped my uncle learn a building trade. He took him to Luashya Trade School in Northern Province where my uncle learned bricklaying. Upon completion of his trade studies, he worked with Father Luke for some years. Father Luke did this to empower Uncle so he could support me, my grandmother and his family.

When I was nine, Father Luke talked to the late Sr Annie Nkole. She told Sr Agnes Bwalya about me and she came to see us in Kasama, in Mungwi district near the Mungwi river. Sr Bwalya talked to my grandmother and my beloved Uncle Raban and they accepted the offer to enrol me at St Odilia Special School where I started grade one. I completed my primary education with no difficulties, because of the help I was getting from the priest, my uncle and my grandmother. My academic performance was average and I had to repeat twice to improve my reading and writing. When I joined the secondary school, I had less difficulties in my studies and I passed well at grade twelve.

When I was at St Odilia, the school went up to grade nine. When I passed to grade ten, I had to go to a government school called Mpolokoso Secondary School. At Mpolokoso we had a room called resource room, where our specialist teachers attended to my academic special needs. My success at St Odilia played a part in influencing my uncle to send Eunice, my first cousin and his third born (who is not albino) to Mpolokoso Secondary School where I was learning. He sent Eunice to keep me company and to help me academically. Uncle Raban named his last-born girl Betshaba and his first-born son has a daughter named Betshaba. I tell you it is a strong bond and my mother is challenged by her family members.

At school and college, I had no great problems because of the arrangements made by my family. I even have other friends and became a good dramatist and I desire one day is to write a book. When I completed my secondary education, I joined the Teacher Training College and I graduated in October 2022 as a teacher and I am waiting to be deployed by the government. While I wait, I am working as a part time general worker at our nearby clinic where I mostly sweep and help the nurses. I am not paid but they give whatever they can. I enjoy the work so much. My second dream is to be in charge of the dispensary at school when I start work and I hope to take a short course in First Aid.

My biological family now turn to me to help because my siblings are not all educated. My brothers do not have any formal income, so they depend on piece work and odd jobs they pick up daily. My brothers and sisters including their children are all living with my mother and father and look to me for help. I am strongly convinced that I can and will make a difference for my family for I am the only one who has a trade. Is that not an achievement? My desire is to uplift them and that I will do.

Life is a challenge and the world needs more people with big hearts like Inverness County Cares and Chalice, to support us. Thank you for being be part of this noble task.

 Inverness County Cares (ICC) is a local charitable organization, founded in 2012 and based in Inverness County, NS, Canada. ICC works in partnership with Chalice.ca, a Canadian charity, based in Bedford, Nova Scotia. Chalice provides guidance and assistance to help us provide a better life for the children at the Kawambwa schools. The Kawambwa Project involves supporting two schools for albino and visually impaired students, in Northern Zambia. Inverness County Cares always welcomes new members. Individuals who wish to donate, can use the donate button on our website   https://invernesscountycares.com When using E-transfer, please include your mailing address for CRA tax receipts and a thank you message.   E-transfer address:  [email protected] or send a cheque to Inverness County Cares, 5414 Route 19, Judique, NS, Canada, B0E1P0. Taxation receipts provided for USA and Canada.