Turning pain into strength: our story, our vision
The AlbiInternational association was born from a deeply impactful personal experience lived by its founder, Carine HOUNGUE, who herself has albinism, so that no child in Benin suffers isolation or preventable skin cancer.
Carine HOUNGUE
Subject from a young age to exclusion, inquisitive stares, and school stigmatisation, Carine learned resilience through her love of learning.
Her sister's battle
The sudden death of her beloved sister from aggressive skin cancer sealed the turning point of her fight to popularise essential prevention.
June 2017: Birth of Albi
Turning family pain into a national shield. The birth of AlbiInternational in Benin for the strict promotion and defence of albino children.
The Clinical Lifeline
Planned public delivery of SPF 50+ sun protection, school ophthalmological exams and UV filter awareness campaigns.
Inclusive Beninese Society
Building an equitable nation where albinism is understood through science and perceived as a vibrant epidermal richness.
Our History & Heritage
Carine HOUNGUE transformed a personal wound into a structured movement of public utility. Our ethics were born from resistance, driving logistics and health operations across all departments of Benin.
Our Inclusive Vision
AlbiInternational aspires to build an inclusive, equitable and diversity-respecting society, where people with albinism live free from any form of ritual oppression, with equal access to fundamental rights.
Information as Leverage
We act with the firm conviction that education, scientific engagement and solidarity are the only credible weapons to banish absurd superstitions to the past.
Carine HOUNGUE
Founder of Albi International
Tribute & Memory
Fadelle HOUNGUE (1979 - 2014). Model and graduate, her courage in the face of skin cancer is the founding cornerstone of Albi International.
Fadelle HOUNGUE: A light that continues to shine
Fadelle HOUNGUE was a young woman full of life, grace, and ambition. Holding a university diploma and a model by profession, she lit up the runways with her natural elegance, smile, and determination. Behind this radiant image, however, was a silent struggle that would change the destiny of an entire family.
Fighting skin cancer, Fadelle put up a brave battle for several years. Between medical consultations, chemotherapy sessions, heavy treatments, and surgical interventions, she fought with admirable strength. Every step was an ordeal, and every hope was followed by a new battle. Despite her determination and that of her loved ones, the disease eventually claimed her in her 35th year, leaving behind a young son and a family deeply marked by her departure.
Among those who witnessed this struggle closest was her sister, Carine HOUNGUE. Day after day, she witnessed the physical pain, the difficulties of accessing specialized care, and the anxieties and hopes that accompanied this fight. She saw a strong woman fight to the very end for her life and for her child.
"Fadelle's passing did not only leave an immense void; it also gave birth to a deep conviction. Carine realized that too many people living with albinism continue to face the same risks, often in silence, due to a lack of information, prevention, and tailored support."
It was from this pain transformed into commitment that the initiative carried today by Albi International was born. Every action taken, every awareness campaign, every medical consultation organized, and every advocacy for the rights of people living with albinism carries the imprint of Fadelle's memory.
Her story is a reminder of the urgency of action. Her fight has become a mission. Her legacy now lives on through all the lives that this initiative helps to protect, support, and empower. Fadelle is no longer with us, but her story continues to inspire a movement that refuses to let other families go through the same suffering in indifference.
Understanding the realities of albinism
Albinism is an inherited genetic condition characterised by an absence or low production of melanin. It is neither contagious nor mystical, but poses heavy challenges.
The risk of skin cancer: a vital issue
The absence of melanin leaves the skin without a shield against the abrasive UV rays of the equatorial sun. Without SPF 50+ sunscreen, repeated burns occur and degenerate prematurely into aggressive skin cancers.
A tragedy yet 100% preventable through screening and medicalized sunscreen. It is the leading cause of death for people with albinism in Africa.
Social barriers and work discrimination
School teasing, neighborhood marginalization, rejection from family and persistent work stereotypes brutally restrict decent job access for qualified albino youth.
Correction of visual learning difficulties
Albinism structurally involves nystagmus (involuntary eye oscillation), pronounced strabismus and vision deficit. Without a magnifier and adaptation, schoolwork is painful.
Fighting obsolete ritual magic myths
In several isolated communities, albinism still generates cruel superstitions. Some foolish myths attribute miraculous wealth effects to albino hair or limbs, motivating criminal ritual hunts.
Some couples associate this birth with an outrageous conjugal curse, hiding or abandoning the child. Albinism is of purely clinical and hereditary genetic origin.
Our actions and support program
To respond immediately to physiological and psychological needs, AlbiInternational implements three major events each year in West Africa.
International Albinism Awareness Day (ISAD)
The flagship activity to inform the general public, debunk persistent myths, and distribute free SPF 50+ sunscreen bottles.
Objectives:
- Raise awareness on albinism and rights.
- Combat prejudices and superstitions.
- Prevent cancer through sunscreen delivery.
Expected Results:
- Reduction of violence and social exclusion.
- Immediate assistance to vulnerable children in Porto-Novo.
Distribution of adapted school kits to children with albinism
Before each school year starts, we provide pedagogical and visual materials adapted to children from very vulnerable families.
Objectives:
- Support access and retention of albino students in class.
- Relieve the school supply budget for parents.
- Promote equitable education with magnifiers and large print.
Expected Results:
- Carefree back-to-school preparation for 100+ students.
- Major decrease in visual-related school dropout.
Christmas for children with albinism
Every December 23rd, AlbiInternational offers a warm Christmas gathering, toy distribution, and protective sunscreen kits.
Objectives:
- Provide joy and friendliness in a safe environment.
- Strengthen the self-esteem of albino children.
- Link sharing and celebration with sunscreen protection.
Expected Results:
- Dozens of children empowered and cherished.
- Stronger solidarity bonds among albino families.
Perspectives and future actions
To definitively lift the barriers of stigmatization and disease, we are structuring an ambitious global program over the decade.
Logistical & Dermatological Regularization
Our primary ambition is to establish solid industrial partnerships to supply and distribute pharmaceutical-grade SPF 50+ sunscreen in industrial quantities in Benin and sub-Saharan Africa.
Empowerment, Careers & Psychological Support
We plan to open a capacity building center to offer certified vocational training (web skills, crafts, trade) and psychological listening/integration services to people with albinism.
Universal Institutional Advocacy
Advocate before the National Assembly of Benin to secure systematic free corrective glasses and 100% subsidized dermatological care for albino citizens under a national public health integration policy.
University Cooperation
Encourage and fund specialized scientific studies by dermatology residents to study the specific melanin adaptations in albino skin in coastal West Africa, optimizing dermatological care.
Every small piece fits together to form the Great Shield of Inclusion.
Support the future of AlbiInternational in Benin by sponsoring or co-building these noble future prospects.
The Tree of Life: Our Evolutionary Journey
From an individual aid initiative in 2017 to a structure of national and international scope today.
The Seed Planted
Following the tragic passing of her sister, Carine HOUNGUE gathered her first volunteer supports in Cotonou and Porto-Novo to manually purchase and distribute protective sunscreen to 30 children with albinism.
Active Educational Inclusion
Establishment of regular partnerships with primary school directors in Benin. Over 300 backup school supply kits with notebooks and UV-protective sunglasses are offered every autumn.
International Structuring
Creation of "AlbiInternational" branches to federate donations from European medical laboratories and ship dermatological-grade SPF 50 sunscreen tubes. Sponsoring expanded to orphanages.
Sovereign Free Care
Active institutional advocacy to integrate albinism into Benin's national health budget and secure exclusive free treatment for early skin lesions.
Our Commitment to Absolute Ethics
"We solemnly guarantee that every dollar, every CFA franc, every bottle of sunscreen collected is handed over directly to orphanages and communities in Benin. Our volunteers self-fund all administrative costs to ensure pure and transparent impact."