Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns mainly caused by human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels. The community most affected by climate change are persons with albinism and I learned this through Tunai Sherleen.
Ms Tunai is the CEO and founder of Magenta Dynasty, a certified public mediator, and a human rights, diversity, equality and inclusion advocate.
She has albinism and according to her, she was one of the very first people to feel the effects of climate change in Kenya. As the temperatures increased and got harsh as years went by, her use of sunscreen doubled up, increasing the number of sunscreen bottles.
As keen as she always is so as to avoid the risks of getting cancer, it remains a struggle financially. She also misses out on outdoor activities due to the harsh climate. Commuting to and fro can be a challenging task forcing her to run her errands in the evening or very early in the morning.
Not to mention the amount of water she has to take to be hydrated. Her sight has dropped because she squints a lot, she has to get her eyes checked on a regular basis just to keep track of her progress or regress.
As we were chatting she mentioned that she was at the ophthalmologist's office, that to me shows her determination and passion just to share with me her story. I'm truly inspired and I'm learning too. Hope you the reader get inspired too.
By Sarah Bosibori