I turn 50 in a few weeks and as part of my thanksgiving & appreciation to God, I would like to raise awareness & funds for the Albino Foundation's Education Project in Nigeria. am reaching out to my friends and family to support this cause as my Birthday initiative. I have come to appreciate from life's experience that the accident of birth goes a long way in shaping and deciding who you are and what you become, we are lucky to have been born into our families. I am focusing on children living with albinism in Nigeria, myths, stigma and discrimination still surrounds this condition in our different cultures. It is a taboo to find a person with albinism in some communities in Nigeria, in some they are unwelcome and are not allowed into the community, if they do they are killed, and in some of our cultures they are killed or abandoned at birth,

Albinism is a genetic condition found in all races, the person lacks the gene for producing melanin – the pigment that protects the skin from ultraviolet light from the sun. Attention is drawn to albinism, by the unusual appearance of a person, the white hair and skin is a powerful factor from the moment of birth, a new baby will often be much lighter in colour than everyone else, unwanted and unkind comments are made about the appearance of a child.It is estimated that there are 2 million persons with albinism in Nigeria and 40% are children. I was introduced to the Albino Foundation, a charity that rescues babies with albinism abandoned at birth.It supports, cares for and educates them, the resources available to them are all raised from donations from individuals and grants. The overall welfare and development of persons with albinism is strongly contingent upon proper learning and education. Presently, the foundation has sent over three hundred children with albinism to school, they are currently paying school fees and other logistics of 140 children cut across the federation. The Foundation’s Education Trust Fund is aimed at ensuring that persons with albinism especially children who are not in school have access to quality education, reduce the number of out-of-school children with albinism in Nigeria; improve school enrolment among children with albinism; improve learning and teaching of albinism education in schools; and reduce the illiteracy level in Nigeria especially within the vulnerable population. 70% of the money realised will be used specifically for the children's school fees, uniforms, books etc. while the remaining 30% will be used by the foundation to run the administrative expenses.Please click on the link below to go to the Albino Foundation's page.Thank you Albino Foundation Education Project