Vitiligo Beauties. Many shades of uniqueness

  Some are dark skinned, others fair skinned and some of us have the privilege of being both. To me that’s special and I term those of us who fall into this category vitiligo beauties. Today, 25th of June is tagged world Vitiligo day and as someone who has some vitiligo patches, I chose to share my experience and that of some others.

Photo credit. @la_illustration on instagram

   Technically  vitiligo isn’t having a fair and a dark skin , it’s when patches of skin loose their pigmentation, these patches appear white and hair follicles in affected areas tend to appear white too.  Vitiligo affects both dark skinned and fair skinned people. These patches can be located on any part of the body and be of any size too.
 

Photo credit. Google images

Vitiligo is a skin disease that leaves a sufferer with an uneven skin tone, hypopigmented lesions amidst the person original skin tone. In a  world that has a stereotype for the word beautiful, it can be quite tough for those with the disease to blend in. Those ignorant of the disease tend to see  sufferers as natures freaks and the fear of it being  contagious is rife. Newsflash, Vitiligo isn’t a communicable disease, no one can contract it by coming in contact with one who has it.
 
   As a little girl running around the house without the knowledge of what it meant to have an even skin tone, I never cared if a part of my skin was shades lighter than other parts. The  particular spot it started from was pinched so hard by my dad because he wanted to be sure I could feel pain at that spot. He was hoping I haven’t picked up leprosy which presents with hypopigmented lesions and loss of sensation. Vitiligo doesn’t present with loss of sensations. My mum on the other hand was worried about the future, she didn’t want a child with different shades of skin colour, who will become a recluse because of the stigma attached most times.
    Doctor shopping commenced, trying of different topical medications couldn’t be avoided and application of herb extracts that are most times sticky despite knowing there was no known cure became the order of the day. However, repigmentation does occur sometimes with aid of steroids and  turnover of new skin cells.
   
     My case is a little bit different from the experiences of other sufferers in the vitiligo support group (yes we have a support group and I totally subscribe). I was never stigmatized at least not to my knowledge. The soles of my feet are  white and rather than make fun of me, I had people who loved and wished to have  it because my feet always appeared clean. The vitiligo patch present on my lips made friends who wished for pink lips like it. Their reactions were quite strange and I had to repeatedly explain that it was a medical condition. There were those who always asked me if I got burnt by hot oil and I my response, ”No, How does one get scalded by hot oil , affecting the lips and feet excluding other parts of the body?” leaves them more confused and this is followed by a lengthy explanation. To be candid, granting these explanations can be so tiring but then they get to know I ain’t a freak of nature. I feel bad when I read about the experiences of other sufferers, some were tagged witches or  wizards, others were treated like they suffered from a life threatening condition and the worst is when people tell their kids not to have a handshake with sufferers for fear of contracting the disease.
I have seen people who have to battle with the stigma and rejection leaving their self esteem in shambles. Some are scared of going into an emotional relationship because of the fear of rejection which should not be.  The affectation of the psychological and emotional well being is more pronounced when these patches appear on exposed areas like the face and hands.
 

Photo credit. @antoniodjanikian on instagram

 
   This may sound odd, I actually love my vitiligo patches, its part of who I am now. You may term it a coping mechanism but it works for me.  I see it as been unique, and if we all get to sample our feet, I always get to stand out. I mean, who doesn’t want to stand out in a crowd.
   To those who have vitiligo like me, I want you all to know ,we are beautiful no matter our skin colour or uneven skin tone. Vitiligo may have no cure but we don’t care cause it can be managed. Use your sunscreen and find a support group closest to you, when there is a new development you would most likely hear first from such groups. If those around give you that condescending look, raise your shoulders like kings and Queens,make them realise it isn’t easy to be extraordinary and be amongst the 1% of people with vitiligo globally.

Waste and our environment

Africa is sitting on a gold mine and we are yet to realise our luck. This gold mine has for long been seen as not having an intrinsic value. The gold mine is our waste. Waste generation and particularly its disposal has been a huge environmental challenge which has plagued  developing countries like mine; Nigeria. This challenge is even more pronounced in the community I live, Kano State, Nigeria. Kano is the most populous black community in sub-Saharan Africa with a population of over 10 million persons as stated in the last Nigeria census in 2006 and demographic projections for 2016. A large population like this comes with challenges in waste management. Such waste include domestic waste, toxic waste, biodegradable waste and recyclable waste. Most of these waste  are produced in households and in few instances as seen in toxic waste, industries.
  Sadly management of this waste has become a matter of concern which has made a great impact in the society we live in. It’s a negative impact. This has become a public health menace and a serious threat to our society and the future we hope to build for our unborn children. Urbanization and Rural-Urban Migration has been fingered to contribute to this challenge. Poor planning, resource limitation and lack of innovation in dealing with emerging problems are  also contributors to this environmental degrading problem.
  Effective management of our waste system using locally drawn technology and intelligence seems to be the solution to our problems.  These solutions should be backed by effective policy and laws which would protect them and ensure they become a part of our lifestyle and country's mantra.
   Management systems include, reduction of greenhouse gases by proper disposal of biodegradable organic waste.This in turn would help in reducing the problem of climate change. Greenhouse gases like methane can be used to produce electricity. Power cuts and inadequate production of power is a perennial problem in Nigeria which has defied all forms of solution. This may perhaps be the solution we long for. Outbreak of diseases which have a public health significance would be greatly reduced if water and air  pollution caused by poor waste handling is reduced significantly.
   Attitudinal change is by far the most important aspect of environmental preservation. The common perception which have long been inherent in most people from my country is that, the environment should give way for human development and the environment should suffer for our development and preservation. Re-education on the benefits of environmental preservation should be reemphasized via mass media, formal education and faith based organizations.
   Reward systems for waste management should be encouraged, policies and acts which allow for these  reward systems to be concreted into national lifestyle should be enacted.
   Individually, we all can aim at waste reduction by making better and healthier choices when items are purchased in order to reduce waste generation. One can opt for fresh vegetables rather than their Canned substitutes. Cooked food bought from vendors can be served in plates that can be taken home, washed and reused instead of the popular Styrofoam take away packs.
   Some of those who engage in improper waste disposal are ignorant of the impact their actions have on the environment. Education of people on proper ways to dispose waste and the aftermath if not properly done would go a long way in preserving the environment.
  In cases where people understand and know what to do as regards proper waste disposal but seem to lack choices, assistance from the government and well meaning bodies comes in to play. Policies guiding proper waste collection, processing and disposal should be put in place and they should be enforced.
   Good waste collection and operation of sanitary land fills would reduce the waste which end up as litters thus discouraging open air dumping of refuse. Separation of types of waste and its treatment at site of generation would go a long way in reducing the quantity of waste generated and lessen the effect on the environment.
  Introduction of a re call process of non-biodegradable wastes would reduce waste burden, most times this class makes up the litters found at dump sites. Solid wastes like empty bottles, plastics and cans can be recalled with an incentive and in turn processed and sold to manufacturers as raw materials.
  Waste reuse is evident in the production of biomass energy. If developing countries can delve into to use of biomass energy instead  of fossil fuel a huge portion of the environment would be preserved.
  Reclaiming of  materials and parts from a product that has been worn out or rendered obsolete would preserve the environment by reduction of the waste burden.
    Waste would always be generated but the reduction of waste means less environmental impact. We can choose to ignore these problems while harming our environment as a result of our actions and inactions or decide to tackle the problem and preserve the environment.

By Mayuku-Dore Alero.