WorldVitiligoDay2022:PartofUs-VisualAdvocacyandPublicEngagement
Uganda's first public participation in World Vitiligo Day, grounding global narratives in local context.
In June 2022, Muundo Foundation - then operating as The Part of Us Initiative - marked World Vitiligo Day for the first time in Uganda, joining a global movement dedicated to visibility, understanding, and inclusion for people living with vitiligo.
This moment represented a significant milestone: Uganda's first public participation in World Vitiligo Day, aligning local action with an international campaign observed across continents for more than a decade.
A Global Moment, Locally Interpreted
World Vitiligo Day is observed annually on 25 June and has been hosted by different countries each year, reflecting its global reach. In 2022, the international campaign was hosted by Mexico, under the theme "Learning to Live With Vitiligo."
The Part of Us Initiative responded to this theme through visual arts and public engagement, grounding global narratives in local context and lived experience.
The "Part of Us" Photoshoot: Art as Entry Point
As part of the 2022 observance, the Part of Us Initiative organised a public photoshoot event in Kampala. Hosted at PhotoHub Studio, the session was intentionally open to everyone - with or without vitiligo.
The photoshoot functioned as both:
- A creative intervention
- A public education space
Participants engaged in conversations around vitiligo, stigma, and representation, challenging long-held myths that remain widespread in Uganda. Through photography and visual storytelling, the event amplified the message that vitiligo is part of human diversity.
Public Dialogue and Media Engagement
Beyond the photoshoot, the Part of Us Initiative actively engaged public platforms to extend the conversation.
The team also connected with cultural institutions, including a moment of engagement with the Uganda National Gallery (Nommo Gallery - UNCC), reinforcing the role of arts institutions in advancing inclusive narratives.
Art, Information, and Myth-Busting
A defining feature of the 2022 activities was the response from participants who encountered new information about vitiligo - information that challenged assumptions shaped by cultural myths rather than medical or lived realities.
"Art opens the door, but knowledge sustains change."
Art & Cultural Advocacy in Practice
Within Muundo's Art & Cultural Advocacy program, the 2022 World Vitiligo Day activities stand as an early example of how:
- Art can function as a tool for inclusion
- Public participation can be reshaped through creativity
- Cultural spaces can host conversations that policy alone cannot
From Part of Us to Muundo Foundation
The World Vitiligo Day 2022 activities laid early groundwork for what would later evolve into Muundo Foundation's Art & Cultural Advocacy program. At the time, the initiative focused on:
These principles remain central to Muundo's approach today, even as the organisation has grown in structure, scope, and strategy.