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#dealwithme: A woman with albinism seeking acceptance

November 15, 2014

24-year-old Leonidah stood out from the moment she was born. She has albinism, a rare condition which makes her skin fair. She knows what it’s like to be stigmatized and is fighting for acceptance in Nairobi, Kenya.

https://p.dw.com/p/1Dh5L
Leonidah, #dealwithme (Photo: Robert Richter/DW)
Image: Robert Richter

#dealwithme: Seeking acceptance - Leonidah, Kenya

To be accepted for who she is and what she looks like - that’s what Leonidah wants. The 24-year-old lives in Nairobi, Kenya, and has albinism. In the past decades, this rare genetic condition was almost equivalent to a death sentence. People with albinism were persecuted, mutilated and killed. Leonidah knows this all too well. She can’t find a job and is afraid to go out alone at night. But she’s hanging in there.