Staff Writer
ICT giant — NetOne — made its presence felt in the region with its support for inaugural Mr and Miss Albinism Southern Africa held over the weekend at Rainbow Towers in Harare.
The spectacular event saw performances by South African singer PJ Powers famed for her human rights song There Is An Answer which fans danced and sang along to, gospel pioneer Baba Mechanic Manyeruke, Dino Mudondo, Mbeu, Willom Tight, Mangwenya Diana Samkange and Albinism Konnect Band.
The pageant sponsored by NetOne in partnership with Albinism Initiative, is aimed raising awareness on tolerance, inclusivity, empowerment, and Ubuntu towards peopled with albinism.
In a speech read on his behalf by a representative, NetOne group chief executive officer, Engineer Raphael Mushanawani, spoke about challenges faced by people with albinism and called society to mitigate the burden.
“Albinism is a condition that affects millions of people worldwide, yet it continues to be plagued by misconceptions, stigmatization, and discrimination. We firmly believe that we have a responsibility to use our platform to raise awareness about albinism and facilitate change within our community.”
“We must recognize that people with albinism face many challenges, from visual impairment to skin cancer, but perhaps the greatest struggle of all is combating the social stigma associated with the condition.
“Too often, people with albinism are ostracized, discriminated against, and even subject to violence and attacks. At NetOne, we believe that we can make a difference in the lives of people with albinism by taking a proactive approach to education, advocacy, and support.
“We must work tirelessly to break down the barriers that prevent people with albinism from receiving equal treatment and opportunities, whether it’s in accessing education, employment, or living a life free of ridicule and abuse,” Eng Mushanawani said.
Eng. Mushanawani, said NetOne was leave no one and place behind as enunciated in the national vision to being part of a whole society solution.
Brenda Mudzimu, the executive director of Miss Albinism Zimbabwe Trust, said the regional pageant’s role was to dignify people with albinism, just like everyone else in society.
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