Mothering & Albinism

Storytelling in film is one way that academic research can be communicated to the public, so social change can follow (Karabanow & Naylor, 2015; Richmond, 2016; Sharma, Reimer-Kirkham, & Meyerhoff, 2011). How can telling stories through film change community attitudes? Their voices: Upendo wa Mamas (‘Mother’s Love’ in Swahili) is a support and income generating… Continue reading A Storytelling Film Project to Centre the Voices of Tanzanian Mothers impacted by Albinism

This past November 2021, we took the opportunity to present our Mothering and Albinism research at the premier Global Health conference in Canada with a broad global reach. First, we provide some background about the Canadian Conference on Global Health. For the first time, the joining of two predecessors, the Canadian Society of International Health… Continue reading Canadian Association for Global Health (CAGH) Conference Poster Presentation – November 2021, Ottawa, Canada

As you will recall, in Part I of the ‘Re-imagining virtual field research during a global pandemic’ blog (March 2021), we described the shifts in our data collection approaches to remote interaction and conducting virtual research due to the global pandemic, aligning with the Canadian Coalition for Global Health (CCGHR) Principles (2015).  This framework guides… Continue reading Re-imagining virtual field research during a global pandemic: Shifting methods – Part II

I.K., United Nations, Geneva (Photo Credit: Harry Freeland, Standing Voice ) Ikponwosa Ero (I.K.) was designated as the first United Nations Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism in June of 2015. During her six years on the mandate, she initiated movements in various sectors and collaborated with stakeholders in… Continue reading Congratulations, Ikponwosa Ero!

Every year since 2015, global communities celebrate June 13 as International Albinism Awareness Day. A day established by a United Nation's General Assembly resolution passed on December 18, 2014 to celebrate persons with albinism and their accomplishments throughout the world while raising awareness of albinism. As a team we will pause on June 13 to… Continue reading June 13: International Albinism Awareness Day #StrengthBeyondAll Odds

Innocentia's sister, Elma. The last born in a family of nine, I spent most of my childhood in Chitungwiza, one of Zimbabwe's most densely populated townships which started out as a dormitory town in the 70s. The most enduring memory I have of my childhood is that there were always people coming to our house.… Continue reading For Elma and the many other mothers impacted by albinism

The following is a conversation between Mpho Tjope (MT), Founder & Director of Albinism Advocacy for Access South Africa & Chairperson of the South Africa Albinism Taskforce and Emma Strobell (ES), Project Coordinator for the Mothering & Albinism project. ES: Where do you call home? MT: I was born and raised in Delportshoop, Northern Cape,… Continue reading Together for change: In conversation with Mpho Tjope of Albinism Advocacy for Access

Organizing data for a large research project typically poses a challenge, particularly when data includes various types of files (e.g., transcripts from interviews, academic literature, grey literature, and photos) (Houghton, Murphy, Meehan, Thomas, Brooker & Casey, 2016). We have chosen to use NVivoTM software to help organize our data as well as assist with analysis.… Continue reading Leveraging technology: How NVivo™ is supporting our qualitative data analysis

Conducting research in three countries with team members from eight universities and three civil society organizations (CSOs) makes for a rather complicated Human Research Ethics Board (HREB) approval process.  Rightly so.  To conduct global health research, especially in contexts of varying resources, colonial legacies, and histories of research that have not tended to local concerns,… Continue reading In Advance: Tending to Human Research Ethics (Part I)