A NOTE OF THANKS

Harry Freeland reflects on an incredible 2017 for Standing Voice

By Standing Voice

December 15^th, 2017

This summer, the Tanzania Albinism Collective looked out across the crowds at WOMAD festival in Wiltshire. It was their own songs and stories—written and recorded in Ukerewe, Tanzania—that brought them so far from home for the first time. How inconceivable such a vision would have been growing up: many of the group’s members were shunned from public events on Ukerewe, forced to eat alone with separate bowls and utensils. When I first visited Tanzania, such a journey would have been hard to imagine. Nonetheless, here they were, fresh from a tour of the UK and a series of BBC interviews, finishing their set to a standing ovation. Shining bright as ambassadors for people with albinism, the group became something bigger than themselves: an example of what can be achieved when people are empowered to carry the torch of acceptance.

Empowering advocates to be trailblazers of change has been the enduring theme of a remarkable 2017 for Standing Voice. It’s hard to believe the landmark BBC Two documentary, Born Too White, only aired in February. The film shed new light on the plight of people with albinism, and featured some of our life-saving programmes. The great steps forward we have taken together since are too numerous to list here, but a few are worth mentioning.

Both our Skin Cancer Prevention and Vision Programmes have entered thrilling new phases, with local dermatologists and optometrists increasing their ownership of patient care, and new clinics opening in remote locations nationwide. This is all thanks to our incredible team, who have worked to make these services a reality for thousands of people with albinism.

As the programmes continue to grow in Tanzania, we are increasingly looking to meet the needs of people with albinism across the African continent. As part of our groundbreaking partnership with the Pierre Fabre Foundation, we have turned first to Malawi, where our Skin Cancer Prevention Programme is now fully operational.

Earlier this year, we delivered our inaugural Summer Skills Workshop on Ukerewe Island. Held at the Umoja Training Centre, this event brought together a group of artists from across the globe in a joyous exchange of knowledge and ideas. Members of the Ukerewe community gained the insights and tools to start new businesses, empowering them to advocate for themselves and others. Our volunteers from around the world brought home new outlooks on their own lives.

Across our projects, we have seen how the worth of a child can be transformed in the eyes of his parents after receiving a quality education; how a teacher’s attitude changes once they understand that a child with albinism is as intelligent as any other, but perhaps has particular vision needs; how a formerly suspicious community member discovers that the lesions on her neighbour’s face are not a sign that albinism is contagious, but are actually an effect of sunburn. We've seen how a successful business can banish the idea that a person with albinism is unlucky or incapable; and how basic genetic knowledge can rewrite the future of a family, helping a mother to see she isn’t cursed, and a father to realise he has not been betrayed.

None of these transformations would have been possible without the Partners and Supporters who have joined us on this journey. We thank you for supporting us in 2017. Through your generosity, we were able to reshape the lives of thousands of people with albinism. As we look ahead to 2018, we remain focused on building a network of ambassadors across Tanzania, an army of advocates who can love and protect and empower people with albinism. From teachers and healthcare providers to storytellers and advocates, from entrepreneurs and leaders to mothers and fathers, this coalition of change-makers will be an unstoppable force in the fight to defend people with albinism.

By way of conclusion to this phenomenal year at Standing Voice, I cast my mind back to the Tanzania Albinism Collective’s own closing number: 'Happiness'. The song looked forward to the future with positivity and ambition: a testament to the resilience and strength of the group’s members. Entering the New Year, I hope to bring with us a little of this tenacity ourselves.