Thando Hopa Speaks On Albinism Stereotypes

The country has come a long way in fighting stigma surrounding Albinism. Model Thando Hopa is on a mission to change stereotypical opinions surrounding the same.

She made history when she starred in the 2018 Pirelli Calendar. In speaking to Top Women, she thus spoke about the negative thoughts surrounding Albinism, that she wants to change.

Thando started off by speaking about her childhood and the incorrect beliefs people had about what it meant to live with Albinism.

“It was the contradictory beliefs that people with albinism bring either good or bad luck. Having people hug and hold me for good luck, or conversely spit into the necklines of their tops to ward off bad luck or make a big show of not wanting to touch me for fear of becoming like me or having children who are like me. I felt like a walking commodity, struggling to find words to explain how ordinary I am,” she said.

Thando’s aim is to ensure people know people with Albinism are normal people who happen to live with a skin condition.

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