Meet Natasha Golden The Future Civil Engineer

Category : Skin Cancer | Sub Category : Treatment Posted on 2020-11-06 17:18:52

Natasha is aged 18 years old. She was at the age of 12 when the SCOSP Team came to her rescue. She stays with her grandmother Irene. Irene is often sickly. She is often battling High blood Pressure and Diabetes. 

Natasha's both parents divorced when natasha was at the 2 years 6 months old. It is not certain to Natasha why her parents separated since she was very young but the information we have gathered shows the misunderstandings started when both parents realized the condition(albinism) of the child they had. 

So Natasha was left under the care of her elderly grandmother. In 2014 SCOSP was informed about a child under attack from human Traffickers until we pursued them and got the child back and had her put under the care and protection program of SCOSP. Since then, SCOSP took full charge to care for the beautiful girl.

Education: 

She has been to different primary schools, until she graduated to secondary school. She is now in Senior two at Muko High school. She want to change the school to Nyamweru secondary school because like it was the case in Primary, the secondary school has not understood and handle her low vision challenges.

She has always insisted that she cannot read the small text on the blackboard and her request to secure space on the front desk where at least she can try to see a little better has always fallen on a her teacher’s deaf ear. 

Her teacher instead kept her in the 3rd row and told to get prescription glasses and visit an low vision specialist. The teacher has always insisted that she Natasha should get the needed glasses to enable her to get Vision aids to help with her shortsightedness. 

Natasha is a Brilliant girl, she used to be academically competent girl and she kept maintaining her 2 academic position in class but last year 2019 she came in the 4th academic position something Natasha says has been attributed unbearable situation of being kept from access the lesson materials and necessary large text that is legible for her.  Even though Natasha acquired the above position, it shows that she is a very brilliant girl. 

Where as the new  school has assured her of the proper care, it also still constrained by the lack of large printed text to enable her to read. At least she is confident she can occupy the front seat when the lockdown is eased. 

These days like other students who not in candidate classes are reading/privately studying from home. Our role is to provide them the needed resources and basic needs so that they can achieve their academic goals though it so challenging. 

When she has time, she helps in the gardens for few hours and return home when the sun rises despite the fact that she has a sun-hat and sun screen lotion supplied by SCOSP. She gets affected when there is a shortage of supply like it was during the covid19 outbreak. 

Initially she wanted to become a nurse but she changed her mind to become a Civil Engineer in future because there is no Engineer in her entire community. 

Her end of 2019 academic results include: 

Needed Medical Examination

A midst all the challenges above, Natasha developed a painful lesion resulting from the sunburn at her nape She often feels a lot of pain and burning sensation. Today she visited the local dermatologist at the local hospital and the recommendations are that she should go for further screening and treatment at Mulago Hospital Cancer Institute. 

Today she was not donned in her sun-hat because it did not dry up after she washed due long hours of rain and no sunshine. She was also examined by Rugarama Hospital on the 8th May 2019 and she was recommended to go for specialised examination at Nsambya Hospital in Kampala or Ruharo Eye Centre at the Low vision department.  

Natasha urgently needs medical examination and treatment for her skin and also low vision examination to purchase a prescribed eye glass or other vision aids based on a professional’s recommendations.

Leadership  

Through Michael networking, Natasha has been selected to lead the Person’s with albinism(PWA) in Rubanda District under the office of the Community Development Officer for Rubanda District. 

In the recent mapping facilitated by SCOSP,  she has been able to identify, assess 12 PWA in Rubanda District. Other 2 from Ndego village feared to participate because they fear for their lives that they might be killed as the case is in Tanzania. So there are 14 new children with albinism. This being done benchmark our awareness and advocacy activities. 

While at her grandmother’s home during holidays, Natasha plays with her step sister Suzan Trust Ahumuza 13 years old, in P.7 class at Muko Butare Primary school and she is back in school after the lock down on candidate classes was lifted. She also plays with her cousins Mark 10 years old and Faith 5 years old.

Thanks to all our development partners and donators for the great support you continue to give.  We hope Natasha will get the support to go for the required medical attention.

By the SCOSP Team