As a child, playing outside gives you the ultimate freedom to just be a kid and have fun with your friends and forget about the day’s challenges — even if for a short while. But for over 100 children in our Kawambwa site in northern Zambia, playing outside is the challenge.
These children were born with albinism, which means they have no melanin pigment in their skin, eyes, or hair. For them, the sun isn’t just dangerous — it can cause intense pain or much worse.
For the rest of us, melanin gives us some natural protection from the sun’s intense UV rays. Without melanin, these precious kids are always at risk for terrible sunburn that causes painful blisters, severe dehydration, and often, infections. Down the road, it can even lead to devastating skin cancer.
St, Mary’s is one of two exceptional boarding schools Chalice works with in Kawambwa that offer children with albinism and visual impairments a safe, caring place to live and learn.
“In Zambia, the sun is strong throughout the year,” says Sr. Agnes, Kawambwa site director. “We stress to the children that when spending time outdoors, they must remember to protect their beautiful, delicate skin.”
While kids will always want to play outdoors, it’s a constant struggle to balance this natural yearning with keeping their skin protected. Broad-spectrum sunscreen, long sleeves, and medicated skincare are vital for year-round protection from Zambia’s extreme sun, but they’re not always available without support from our sponsors.
Staff at St. Mary’s school always try to slather the children in sunscreen, but it’s a luxury item and very expensive — locals don’t normally use it. Even so, Sr. Agnes says using a high-SPF sunscreen regularly is still the very best way to protect them.
John, a Grade 9 student, is among many children in Zambia who live with albinism. He is also among some very grateful students who have benefited from sponsorship.
With a massive smile, John holds up his ultimate outdoor shield: his sunscreen. Armed with a long-sleeved shirt, medicated soap, and hydrating lotion, he’s ready to safely focus on learning, growing, and enjoying the great outdoors!
“I’ll dedicate much of my time towards school as I will worry less about my skin getting burnt,” he says. John hopes to become a teacher, so learning and progressing in his studies is very important to him.
Thanks to our amazing supporters, the school received 1,440 bottles of sunscreen! Each child in the school also got a long-sleeved shirt and skincare products. Although this incredible donation provides much-needed protection for the kids from painful sunburn and permanent skin damage, it also gives children with albinism the priceless gift of outdoor play.
On top of that, your support has given these amazing kids a massive confidence boost, making them feel truly included at school. Now, they can focus on learning and feel motivated to keep studying so they can dream big!
With your continued support, we can continue to help these beautiful kids and give even more children with albinism safe, sunny fun outside with their friends and a much brighter future!