Tororo Albinos struggling to overcome discrimination
Sep 20, 2016
Mongoluk a peasant farmer faces a serious challenge of too much heat which has affected his sight and burns the entire body.
Born to Boaz Orono and Judith Akongo of Kinyeli village in Mella sub-county Tororo district, Stephen Mongoluk has had a number of challenges throughout his life.Mongoluk, 45, is the first born in the family of 10 children where four of his siblings are born Albinos. The Albinos include Harriet Iliau, 36, Toto Salume, 24 and Beatrice Achieng, 1 18.
Mongoluk, a father of six children is married to Eunice Ikamuran"I think it was God's plans for me to marry Mongoluk and issues of love doesn't have any control. My sister-in-law, Victoria Apio, approached and wooed me to marry Mongoluk. She said she had tried other two girls and they had rejected him, but me, I didn't hesitate," said Ikamuran.
She said Apio then organized to transport her from their home in Koitangiro Village Mella to meet Mongoluk to cement their relationship. She says up to now, her friends still laugh at her over marrying an Albino.
Mongoluk a peasant farmer faces a serious challenge of too much heat which has affected his sight and burns the entire body.
"Although I entirely depend on agriculture, I cannot manage to weed my crops when they are still young because I don't see properly," Mongoluk stressed.
He said he is also discriminated within the public institutions, especially hospitals where medical personnel fear to attend to him when he falls sick, which has extended to even his children.
He said other people, including some of his relatives fear to share food with him. All his children are studying at the nearby Mella Primary School. He says his first daughter dropped out of school after getting pregnant, but the person responsible runs away, claiming he feared having an albino baby.
He says his other sisters are facing similar challenges of discrimination within public institutions including church where people fear to share with them the pew.
For Iliau Harriet, she didn't attend any formal education, but the other two Toto Salume and Beatrice Achieng dropped out of school after sitting their primary leaving examination at St Angella Magale Girls, Manafwa district in 2011 and 2013 respectively.
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