Gift: The future is bright with women’s involvement in it!

5 minute read

All of us have a story. Every great person you see has a background. I want you to know that even if things look to be so difficult right now, there will be a point in life when you look back and smile. You will be happy and you will be proud of yourself, because you realized the power you have to change that story of yours.

My name is Gift. I’m a Psychosocial Counselor by profession, and I advocate for people living with disabilities including albinism. 

I was raised by my parents in Kasama, northern Zambia, and I started primary school in a small rural village called Mporokoso. My parents were always supportive of my education. However, when I sat for my end-of-primary school exams and qualified to go to secondary school, they simply couldn’t afford the costs involved, including uniforms and books.

In my first year of secondary school, CAMFED identified me for support. They provided me with mentoring and school essentials, helping me thrive for the rest of my time at school. I was even elected as Vice Head Girl!

After graduating from school in 2016, I attended a leadership training run by CAMFED. My interest in becoming a leader really grew from there. 

I joined the CAMFED Association of women leaders and volunteered as a Learner Guide at a local secondary school, serving as a role model and “big sister” to the next generation of girls. Then, in 2023, I was proudly elected as the CAMFED Association Chairperson for my district.

Me with my CAMFED Association sisters at the 2026 CAMA Summit in Accra, Ghana.

Advocating for others

Living with albinism, I have faced multiple challenges throughout my education journey. Things were particularly difficult before I moved to a more accommodating secondary school. I couldn’t see what was written on the board, and not many people were willing to help me with my notes. I had to drop mathematics and science, which could have limited my future.

After finishing school, I became more curious about the issues affecting people with albinism. I did my own research, and in 2017, I joined the Albinism Foundation Zambia (AFZ) to raise awareness. That was an easy path for me because I could relate everything I’ve been going through as a person with albinism. I was assigned as a contact person for a boy with albinism to support him and his grandmother, who didn’t know much about albinism. 

There were times when I met people with albinism who were really struggling, sometimes to the extent they didn’t want to associate with people. That’s what motivated me to pursue a psychosocial counseling course at the University of Zambia. 

I used to think, why can’t we just talk more about albinism? But meeting people and understanding their experiences made me realize there is a need for much more. I developed an interest in exploring the human rights issues affecting people with albinism, especially in education, health, and security, which led me to stepping up as a human rights defender.