Let me offer a bit more context here. I’ve had vitiligo, a skin condition that affects 1% of the world’s population, since 2009. In case anyone reading this is unfamiliar with what vitiligo is, it’s a long-term skin condition where pale patches appear due to a lack of melanin. The exact causes are undetermined and research is ongoing, but it can affect anyone of any race or ethnic background.
When I first noticed uneven patches on my skin in the early part of 2009, it came as a bit of a shock. With these unexplained changes, I began to suffer severe anxiety; I hated my skin and what was happening to me. My confidence plummeted and I avoided social events, feeling confused and embarrassed about my vitiligo, which covered about 10% of my skin.
Sadly, this low self-esteem stayed with me for many years – pretty much until sometimes last year when I start to learn to accept who I am and believed that this could be blessing in disguise, I no longer worried about people looking and pointing at me, and some even tried so hard to avoid body contact of any sort. I became happier within myself and begin to enjoy my uniqueness.
Buba Jammeh
