Namibia: Dolar Yves records albinism song with children's choir

11 Aug 2017 - 09:20

Namibia-based Congolese singer Dolar Yves has recorded a song with a children’s school choir from Michelle McLean Primary School. Titled 'Song of Hope', the composition will be used by Support in Namibia for Albinism Sufferers Requiring Assistance (SINASRA) to raise awareness about the condition.

Some of the children who were part of the musical project. Photo: Namibian Sun

Composed by Dolar Yves and Chris Winsemius, 'Song of Hope' and its video are expected to be released soon. The song was recorded at Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) Radio.

“I accepted to work on this project for free and everyone in this project also worked for free,” Dolar Yves told Music In Africa. “We worked with the learner choir and albino children. It was a good experience.”

Responding to what inspired him to work on the project, he said: “My motivation is to make this world a better place for everyone and help albinos feel free in everything they are doing in society and also in their life.”

Acting SINASRA chairperson Peter Stoermer told a Chinese news agency that his organisation was raising awareness through different mediums. “We have other outreach activities such as radio programmes that also assist with the awareness of albinism sufferers in the country and of late the programmes have resulted in an increased influx of albino children to schools all over the country,” he said.

SINASRA is a welfare organisation registered with the Ministry of Health and Social Services. It started as a Rotary project and has developed into an independent entity.

'Song of Hope' was written to spread a message of hope in the southern African country. Other people involved in the project include Helvi Wheeler, who assisted with the choir, and former Miss Universe Michelle McLean-Bailey, who funded the building of the eponymous primary school. She also appears in the yet to be released video.

According to local media, Namibia has an estimated 780 people with albinism from a population of about 2 million people, making the incidence of albinism in the country one of the highest in the world.

People with albinism are often marginalised and stigmatised because they are traditionally perceived as illiterate and cursed, depending on cultural differences. As such, SINASRA's primary concern is the survival of people with albinism “by offering them a fair standard of living”.

Albinism