The sails of life

“Tanga”, which means “sail” in Swahili, is the name of a house run by Polish missionaries, two Sisters from Loreto and a priest from the Association of the Society of African Missions (sma). It provides a safe home for albino children in Tanzania, who are often killed or subjected to violence and mutilation due to a superstitious belief that they possess magical powers and that their body parts — without pigmentation — bring good fortune and extraordinary powers. These children not only find love and security at “Tanga”, but they also learn how to sail through life.

Tanzania is associated with the splendour of its landscape, but it is also one of the poorest countries in Africa. Alongside its poverty runs the violent pagan belief that talismans made from body fragments of people with albinism can bring prosperity. Although these seem to be isolated cases, especially since the law prohibits such practices, Sr Amelia Jakubik, csl, one of the two Loreto Sisters serving in Mwanza, Tanzania, explained that brutality is still a daily occurrence: “Here, in our territories, a two-year-old girl was killed one month ago. We are helping a second-grader, who was attacked at home a few days ago, while another child was skinned”, said Sr Amelia, who along with her community sister and Fr Janusz Machota, sma, runs a home for albino children. The largest number of albinos in the world is born in Tanzania, which, according to latest figures, corresponds to 1 in 1,500 births.

A Home, not an institution

This is an important distinction, the managers highlight. “Tanga” is the name of a home, built to emulate a large Tanzanian family, so that children can fully experience the warmth of a family. “It was the crazy and innovative idea of Fr Janusz. His wish was to create a home, not another institution”, explained Sr Amelia, a mathematician who, in Africa, abandoned meticulous arithmetic to use “the arithmetic of the heart”. At the start, we welcomed 14 young people, girls and boys, to live with us because local families are so large in size, but this was not enough. We currently house 20 children between the ages of seven and 20. “In the last few years, four people we have cared for have set sail to embark on the voyage of a lifetime. Some are studying, others are trying to find their own way. Without the support and love they received at “Tanga” they would not have been able to believe in themselves. “Our service is very simple: to be with them, to create a family atmosphere, a place where they can feel wanted, accepted and loved”, the Sister highlighted. And then, to send them to school — in this case to one of the local Montessori schools. As Sister Amelia explained, education is not only the ticket to fulfilling dreams, but also the answer to limitations associated with albinism. “They cannot do any outdoor jobs or activities because they risk skin cancer and a number of other diseases”.

Their names are known

“Tanga”, which has been “protecting” children in Tanzania for four years, not only changes the lives of children, but also the local community, which is beginning to see albinos — often rejected by society and also their families — in a new light. “We have children who were abandoned at the age of four. Their parents left them at one of the centres, then changed their phone number and place of residence to cut off any further contact”, Sr Amelia said. Unfortunately, there are many similar stories. The antidote to rejection is acceptance, which begins at home and then spreads out to the community. “When we started, we could hear shouting behind us: ‘Oh! Here come the albinos!’. Today we hear: ‘Oh, Lilian! Oh, Teresina is coming!’”, she continued, adding that local children often visit the Home.

Sister Amelia and the other leaders of “Tanga” have conducted more than 200 workshops on albinism in Tanzania, from 2021 to 2022 alone. Fear and shame slowly subside. “I will never forget the gratitude of a 14-year-old mother, when she found out that we would take care of her daughter, whom she had abandoned at birth. She, who was once ashamed of her daughter, now boasts about her”.

The discreet power of faith

Asked how the sisters’ activities are viewed in the area, Sister Amelia replied: “They realise that we do not come here to make a profit, but to love them. And they welcome us very warmly”. The warm welcome is also followed by the grace of faith, which is discreetly poured into the hearts of the children in our care. “Tanga” does not require young people to belong to the Church. “We do not ask their religion or beliefs, we simply accept those who need it the most”, she explained, adding that among the children. are Muslims, Adventists and those searching for faith. “We already have three children who were baptised by Fr Janusz. This is not our merit, we do not force them, but through gestures, we show what our faith consists in. They see how we pray, how we participate in the daily Eucharist. They see where we get our strength from”.

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Dorota Abdelmoula-Viet