It is easy to become mired in pity when addressing the huge obstacles facing people with albinism in Tanzania. You see children with terrible sores, some abandoned by their families, and struggling in classrooms that are ill-equipped to meet their needs. Pity is an understandable reaction, but it is ineffective and misguided. Pity is a wall that stops us from relating to others as fellow humans.
When your immediate response is framed by pity, you separate yourself from the other person and look to an immediate solution. Donate some money, and hope it goes well. When you look past the pity and see the person instead, you start to think in terms of positive solutions. This perspective also helps to create a bridge of understanding, which increases our connectedness as human beings.
I saw some very pitiful things in Tanzania last week, and felt very depressed about the prospects of many of these children. In that frame of mind, I missed the fact that these kids are actually in school, working every day with what they have to move forward. We must focus on moving them forward, rather than getting stuck on where they are right now.
Thanks to Mama Hope for helping me reframe my response:
http://www.mamahope.org/unlock-potential/why-stop-the-pity/
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