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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.

By Stephen Katongo

I am Stephen Katongo, aged 14 and I have albinism. I am in grade seven and this year and will be writing my grade seven composite examination in October/November 2023. We are five in the family and I am the first born. My mother and father are so brown. At this time, I have come to understand that there are Albino persons, from both sides of my family.  From my mother’s side and my grandmother who is almost Albino.  The skin (white) and the eyes (poor vision) explain everything. From my father’s side I have two first cousins who are albinos and these two are at St Mary’s Special School. We four are together at School, namely myself Stephen, my sister Gift Katongo, my cousins Kennedy Mwila and Gift Mushili.

When I started my grade one at St Odilia Special School, my parents were complaining of transport and other school requisitions. I really felt bad but I never expressed anything. It was just burning within me, until when I was in grade three.  About that time my father’s sister come to our home and asked my father if I can be staying with her and my father agreed without hesitation. It was during that holiday that my aunt opted to get a transfer for me from St Odilia Special School to St Mary’s Special School, as it was much closer to where she lives. I was very happy.  Immediately, my sister, Gift, cried to go School.  She was young, and she insisted strongly. Sr Bibian, who come for us, gave a condition to my aunt that, “For any difficulty, she will be asked to return back home”. My sister, Gift, never cried up to this date and she is now in grade three. For the next term my two cousins I already mentioned already have joined.

My academic performance is good from the beginning and I always encourage my sister and cousins to work extra hard. After learning that Albinism is inherited, I said within myself that I SHOULD LIVE ABOVE AIBINISM. All the negatives from the society and other people, I never minded.  From time to time, I was sad and I visited my guidance teacher to ask about life and about my wellbeing. The first advice was self-acceptance and discipline. Secondly was having a vision and studying hard, lastly, was that every day I should set a goal. These are my principles. I started by passing good grades in class and joining the debate club. In 2021, I came Fourth; in 2022 I was third at zonal level. There was no competition at the district level. This year, I am participating in quizzes and paper presentation at district level. I am so happy that my paper was picked. I am among those who will represent the district, the only albino pupil. Surely, my life is full of hope. I have hope that I will excel and do better. What is within me is that I break the barrier of complaining and self-pity and pray that I meet people in my life who can help me step forward.

When Mr. John (MacInnis), Madam Charlotte and Betty Jane visited our school, I admired them. Listen to me, one day I want to be like John fixing window panes, one day I want to be like Betty Jane playing musical instruments, one day I want to be a teacher like Charlotte who was dedicated in teaching literacy (reading).MY LIFE IS FULL OF HOPE.

In the picture Stephen Katongo is wearing a Zambian flag after winning quiz questions and paper presentation in social studies on Sunday 26th March 2023. The flag is the sign of been a hero in the district under primary category.

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.

Stephen in back, his sister Gift Katongo (middle) Kennedy Mwila (right), Gift Mushili(left)

The following is an account of the jubilant celebration marking the building of a security wall around the St Odilia School in Mporokoso, Zambia.

By Sister Agnes Bwalya, site director

Since 1962 when the St Odilia school was built, it was vulnerable to trespassers on the school grounds. This posed dangers to the visually impaired children who were, knocked down by bicycles and careless members of the community. It resulted in theft and vandalism from the school properties and the children’s few treasured possessions. Most alarming was the fear of abduction for the purpose of ritual killing and child abuse. This terrible practice is still common in Sub Saharan Africa and in Zambian society and especially concerning to children living with albinism and blindness. This foot and vehicular traffic through the school grounds also caused disruption to the school classes. Constructing a wall fence was not an easy job, it took the efforts of Inverness County Cares (ICC) donors and the Chalice team who visited Kawambwa site in January 2020. The ICC team, John MacInnis, Charlotte Rankin, and Betty Jane Cameron, identified many areas where help was needed, but the wall fence was given the first priority. Construction of the wall fence at St Odilia Special school has now guaranteed parents the safety of their children. The children can now concentrate on their studies. Thank you so much ICC donors for putting a smile on our face. The wall fence is an assurance that visually impaired children are safe and they can learn, free of fear of abduction. May the Almighty God richly bless you all and give you good health. During the official opening of the wall fence, a mass was celebrated, there were performances by the children and speeches by guests thanking Chalice and ICC.

Bishop Emeritus, A. A. Chisha

On behalf of the entire community, I would love to express my heartfelt thanks for this wonderful gesture of constructing a school wall fence. We really appreciate the wall fence which is an assurance that visually impaired children are safe and they can learn with a free mind. May all the saints and angels continue protecting and blessing you. We love you.

Sr. Auxilia Mwansa, Representative from the Sisters of the Child Jesus

The congregation of the Sisters of the Child Jesus, are very grateful for this generous gesture. Chalice and ICC have contributed to our charisma of being ‘Apostles to our own people’. May the good Lord continue blessing them as well as their families.

Mr Yamba Yamba, District Education Board Officer- Representative from the Ministry Of Education

The Ministry of Education, is thankful for the donation of the wall fence. We know very well that our disabled children are always at risk and the government is always worried about their safety. The

wall fence is an assurance that visually impaired children are safe and free to learn. Thanks Chalice and ICC for partnering with the ministry of Education in the provision of security. God bless you.

Mrs Mwenya, Representative from Parent Teacher Association (PTA)

On behalf of my fellow parents, I am more than happy seeing what Chalice and ICC has done. Construction of the wall fence at St Odilia Special School has brought joy to our hearts. As parents our hearts are settled because we now know our children are safe day and night. Please convey our heartfelt thanks to Chalice, ICC Donors, sponsors and many people who have helped. They are assured of our prayers.

Parish Priest, Fr James Bwalya

What we have seen today is Christ’s mission where friends from afar, thought of our St Odilia special school. God be with you all.

Village Head Man, Kapalaula Johnathan

He started by singing a song in our local language meaning, “Good things come from above, divine wisdom is shown in giving and not receiving. When you give, you receive a double blessing. May the Good Lord give double blessings to Chalice, the ICC team and the children and staff of St Odilia Special School.

Community

The whole community is very happy and truly appreciate all Chalice and ICC does for our people. It was a memorable event that no one will forget. Thanks for your concern and unconditional love. You are such a blessing to the albino and visually impaired children. May God bless you all.

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.