Your Name Is My Name -- Indiegogo

Your Name Is My Name is the compelling story of young people who struggle everyday to fit into a world that has abandoned them.

In 2008 filmmaker Osato Dixon was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to live in Zimbabwe. As an albino African American, his motivations were personal and his intentions simple: capture the lives of albino children in Zimbabwes capital and rural areas. Yet the results yielded an ongoing, in depth look into a world full of heart-breaking tragedy, relentless hope and life-changing discoveries.

Your Name Is My Name is told from the perspective of the young people who are living through of a period of immense turmoil and transformation, one day at a time. As Zimbabwe attempts to rebound from a political and economic crisis, albinos continue to face poverty, persecution, and a surprising common enemy: the sun. In a country laden with embargoes, albino Africans are largely unable to access the sun lotions that we take for granted, and skin cancer is a leading cause of death amongst albinos. Many will not live to see their 40^th birthday.

But we are trying to change this.

YOU can be a part of seeing this film through to completion, allowing us to tell these stories, and giving these young albinos a better chance at life.

We have already shot the majority of the film and are now in the process of editing and raising awareness about albinism in Africa. Osato completed the vast majority of the shooting with the Fullbright grant and we are trying to raise funds to buy hard drives, pay for transcriptions, and see this feature through the rest of post-production and marketing.

Here are some of the main subjects of Your Name Is My Name:

Panashe, nine years old and abandoned in the streets of Harare as a baby. He was raised in a state-run children's home until the age of 10, at which point all boys have to be moved to a separate boys school, where conditions are much harsher. As a young boy, he rarely wore a hat when playing outside, and the many freckles on his face show the rapid effects of the sun on albinos' skin.

Kefas, 14. When Kefas was nine, his parents died of AIDS, and Kefas moved in with his grandmother. Shortly thereafter, he got sick, and doctor diagnosed him with HIV himself. Kefas ambition and unflinching maturity make him unforgettable - rather than let his disease destroy his young life, he regularly walks several miles to the hospital to pick up his medications, fights to stay in school despite being bounced around between different homes, and one day hopes to become a pilot or doctor.

Miriam, 25, who visibly suffers from massive skin damage due to sun exposure. Miriam works as an accountant in the back room of a restaurant, struggling to pay her bills or afford any treatment for her skin problems. With the possibility of death nearing she remains hopeful that she will live another day. You can view more about Miriam in this short trailer for the film.

Mercy, the mother of a non-albino child and administrator of the Zimbabwe Albino Association, which crusades for albino rights in Zimbabwe and neighboring African countries. The association also struggles to help bring in donations of sunblock, hats, and other clothing to distribute to poor albinos in both the cities and rural areas.

During principal photography Osato was able to bring donations of sunblock, hats, and shirts to albinos through the Zimbabwe Albino Association. As we edit and market this documentary we want to continue to honor that commitment to the people who have contributed their stories to this project.

Through your generous donations we will not only be able to see this film through to completion, but we will also provide much needed sun-block lotion, which is unavailable in Zimbabwe and the majority of Africa.

We look forward to having you with us as we promote a visible and real change in the lives of these young Africans.

Please view more videos at our website or our Vimeo page. If you have any questions please contact us directly at osato@yournameismyname.com

Team on This Campaign:

Osato Dixon
Director
Peter Galassi
Editor

0.8328 Complete

$6,246

Raised of $7,500 Goal

0 time left

Flexible Funding campaign

This campaign received all of the funds contributed on Wed Mar 09.

Perks

for your contribution

$15 Thank You

You will be listed in the final credits of the film in the THANK YOU section.
$25 Special Thanks

In addition to helping us finish the film, your donation will send a bottle of sunscreen lotion to the albino children of Zimbabwe. You will also be listed in the final credits of the film in the SPECIAL THANKS section.
$50 Very Special Thanks

In addition to helping us finish the film, your donation will send 3 bottles of sunscreen to the albino children of Zimbabwe. You will also be listed in the final credits of the film as part of the SPECIAL THANKS section.
$100 Key Contributor

In addition to helping us finish the film, your donation will send 6 bottles of sunscreen lotion to the albino children in Zimbabwe. You will also be listed in the final credits of the film as a KEY CONTRIBUTOR and receive a copy of the finished film.
$250 Associate Producer

In addition to helping us finish the film, your donation will give 12 bottles of sunscreen lotion to the albino children in Zimbabwe. You will also be listed in the final credits of the film as an ASSOCIATE PRODUCER. We will also send you a special personalized DVD of the sunblock donations being distributed as well as a copy of the finished film.
$500 Funding Partner

In addition to helping us finish the film, your donation will send 20 bottles of sunscreen lotion to the albino children in Zimbabwe. You will be listed as an Associate Producer and you or your organization will be listed in the end credits and on the website under �Funding Provided by�� and we will also send you a special personalized DVD of your actual donations being distributed as well as a copy of the finished film.