The charity group “Friends of Charity” formed by Turkish Airlines employees is helping albino children in Senegal by providing them with sunscreen.
According to a statement by the airline, the group spearheaded a charity campaign in coordination with the National Association of Albinism in Senegal (ANAS) to help the children.
Individuals with albinism are especially vulnerable to the damaging rays of the sun, which is especially difficult in a country like Senegal where sunlight is plenty. Sunscreen is one of the best defenses against permanent skin damage.
Flight purser Yusuf Babür Öztürk said that they are committed to continuing their aid efforts.
“We will be more than happy if we can protect these children from sunlight even a bit,” he said.
“It is hard to believe that sunscreen can save lives, but it is what it is,” cabin manager Esra Kılıç also said.
“It is our dream to be able to teach the children’s mothers how to prepare natural sunscreen,” she added.
“It is hard to express how good it feels to see how sunscreen helps a challenging condition caused by the mere lack of a pigment,” flight attendant Çağrı Kaya also underlined.
ANAS President Mouhamadou Bamba Diop also emphasized that he has three albino children, and more awareness about albinism is needed worldwide.
“The global community does not know about the African people with albinism. Sunscreen is very crucial for us, but it is hard to find and buy here. Besides, our people are struggling just to have sufficient food,” he said.
“In this geography, they see you as a ghost if you are albino. I am inviting the rest of the world the look down from their private jets on Africa and notice us,” Diop said.
“I thank Turkish Airlines and all charitable people,” he concluded.
Having albinism, or the congenital absence of any pigmentation or coloration, means skin develops rashes and burns very easily when exposed to sunlight.
