Christine Nabukenya is a native of Africa, but she looks very different from her own people. She possesses white skin and blond hair in a place where dark skin and hair is predominant. She is an albino in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Albinos are shunned and persecuted in Africa, much like Christians in the area. They are dismembered, and sometimes it even goes beyond death, as the graves of albinos are also desecrated. There are two reasons why albinos are dismembered and killed in Africa.
One, they have superstitions that the body parts of albinos possess 'magical powers'. Witch doctors, therefore, get the body parts and utilize them in their rituals. They believe the 'magic' released during the ritual brings prosperity to whoever uses it.
The second reason is actually the complete opposite of the first. Albinos are being shunned from society and killed because they are thought to bring bad luck. Many locals cling to the idea that albinism is a disease and that whoever gets it is being punished by God. They also believe that albinism is contagious, that's why people like Christine are rejected by their family and friends.
Growing up with albinism made Christine Nabukenya scared of going to school. When she was eight, her mother died due to childbirth, and though Christine felt alone, she was given a new ray of hope.
Things changed for the better when she became involved with Every Child Ministries, participating in their programs every Saturday that included Bible reading, tailoring and craft making. Through the program, she discovered a "loving God", she has discovered her true identity, that she is a child of God through her relationship with Jesus Christ.
Now at 14, Christine wants to be able to touch the lives of other children who feel rejected by their culture and their people. She wants to be involved in programs where she can "help the forgotten children of Africa become remembered children of Africa, as I am."
From a child who was very afraid because of her condition, Christine has found the confidence to talk to other children about albinism. She gives all the glory to God, saying that if it was not for Him, she would not ever see herself as beautiful.
Christine Nabukenya's future plans include going to university and someday maybe become a fashion designer or even a writer, according to Every Child Ministries.
