I grew up in Tanzania a beautiful and peaceful country with kind people and
peaceful country with kind people and
peaceful country with kind people and happy people too but as I was growing up
happy people too but as I was growing up
happy people too but as I was growing up I was exposed to the circumstances of
I was exposed to the circumstances of
I was exposed to the circumstances of different individuals including those of
different individuals including those of
different individuals including those of persons with albinism I then began
persons with albinism I then began
persons with albinism I then began questioning whether the people of my
questioning whether the people of my
questioning whether the people of my country were truly kind and whether my
country were truly kind and whether my
country were truly kind and whether my country was truly beautiful or peaceful
country was truly beautiful or peaceful
country was truly beautiful or peaceful because how can we be kind when we
because how can we be kind when we
because how can we be kind when we continue to treat each other with such
continue to treat each other with such
continue to treat each other with such disrespect and without integrity how
disrespect and without integrity how
disrespect and without integrity how will we ever be able to grow as a
will we ever be able to grow as a
will we ever be able to grow as a country if we continue to deprive each
country if we continue to deprive each
country if we continue to deprive each other from opportunities prosperity and
other from opportunities prosperity and
other from opportunities prosperity and happy lives and how can you take away
happy lives and how can you take away
happy lives and how can you take away alive with the intention of making yours
alive with the intention of making yours
alive with the intention of making yours better I took the initiative to learn
better I took the initiative to learn
better I took the initiative to learn about albinism about three years ago
about albinism about three years ago
about albinism about three years ago when I came across an article on the
when I came across an article on the
when I came across an article on the newspaper in the newspaper about a baby
newspaper in the newspaper about a baby
newspaper in the newspaper about a baby boy who was killed for his body parts
boy who was killed for his body parts
boy who was killed for his body parts leaving his mother devastated I wanted
leaving his mother devastated I wanted
leaving his mother devastated I wanted to understand why anyone who commits
to understand why anyone who commits
to understand why anyone who commits such a crime and what albinism truly is
such a crime and what albinism truly is
such a crime and what albinism truly is albinism is a skin condition whereby
albinism is a skin condition whereby
albinism is a skin condition whereby individuals lack melanin or pigmentation
individuals lack melanin or pigmentation
individuals lack melanin or pigmentation causing the skin to be pale their their
causing the skin to be pale their their
causing the skin to be pale their their eyes blue or gray and their hair of each
eyes blue or gray and their hair of each
eyes blue or gray and their hair of each blonde this condition makes the skin
blonde this condition makes the skin
blonde this condition makes the skin very prone to severe skin burns hen skin
very prone to severe skin burns hen skin
very prone to severe skin burns hen skin cancer and can also cause vision
cancer and can also cause vision
cancer and can also cause vision problems there has been a stigma
problems there has been a stigma
problems there has been a stigma surrounding persons with albinism in
surrounding persons with albinism in
surrounding persons with albinism in Tanzania for hundreds of years the
Tanzania for hundreds of years the
Tanzania for hundreds of years the stigma is characterized by the belief
stigma is characterized by the belief
stigma is characterized by the belief that persons with albinism have magical
that persons with albinism have magical
that persons with albinism have magical properties that their body parts can
properties that their body parts can
properties that their body parts can grant wealth success fame that they do
grant wealth success fame that they do
grant wealth success fame that they do not die their ghosts they simply
not die their ghosts they simply
not die their ghosts they simply disappear and that they will only bring
disappear and that they will only bring
disappear and that they will only bring chaos to a home these false ideas were
chaos to a home these false ideas were
chaos to a home these false ideas were first propagated by witch doctors who
first propagated by witch doctors who
first propagated by witch doctors who would request for I’ll be no body parts
would request for I’ll be no body parts
would request for I’ll be no body parts in order to brew a potion those believed
in order to brew a potion those believed
in order to brew a potion those believed to grant an individual with whatever the
to grant an individual with whatever the
to grant an individual with whatever the deeds that they desire persons with
deeds that they desire persons with
deeds that they desire persons with albinism are hunted and often killed
albinism are hunted and often killed
albinism are hunted and often killed their body parts are sold Rob’s seventy
their body parts are sold Rob’s seventy
their body parts are sold Rob’s seventy five thousand dollars and taking to
five thousand dollars and taking to
five thousand dollars and taking to witch doctors
witch doctors
witch doctors this price stunned me at first but as I
this price stunned me at first but as I
this price stunned me at first but as I began to delve deeper into the issue I
began to delve deeper into the issue I
began to delve deeper into the issue I realized that the people committing
realized that the people committing
realized that the people committing these crimes aren’t just anyone they’re
these crimes aren’t just anyone they’re
these crimes aren’t just anyone they’re people with authority people with large
people with authority people with large
people with authority people with large sums of money and people who are
sums of money and people who are
sums of money and people who are educated this is the this is proof that
educated this is the this is proof that
educated this is the this is proof that even the most successful believed in the
even the most successful believed in the
even the most successful believed in the stigma undeniably has Nia’s whole of our
stigma undeniably has Nia’s whole of our
stigma undeniably has Nia’s whole of our being albinism persecution but the
being albinism persecution but the
being albinism persecution but the prominent exists all over East Africa
prominent exists all over East Africa
prominent exists all over East Africa there have been albinism attacks in
there have been albinism attacks in
there have been albinism attacks in Kenya and burned in other regions and
Kenya and burned in other regions and
Kenya and burned in other regions and persons with albinism are subject to
persons with albinism are subject to
persons with albinism are subject to great amounts of prejudice and
great amounts of prejudice and
great amounts of prejudice and stigmatization in June and July 2015 I
stigmatization in June and July 2015 I
stigmatization in June and July 2015 I went on a beautiful journey of creating
went on a beautiful journey of creating
went on a beautiful journey of creating a documentary to raise awareness about
a documentary to raise awareness about
a documentary to raise awareness about the issue and to educate the Tanzanian
the issue and to educate the Tanzanian
the issue and to educate the Tanzanian community during this process I met a
community during this process I met a
community during this process I met a young girl named Joyce when Joyce was
young girl named Joyce when Joyce was
young girl named Joyce when Joyce was only 14 years old she was chased by two
only 14 years old she was chased by two
only 14 years old she was chased by two men on her way to school who wanted to
men on her way to school who wanted to
men on her way to school who wanted to kill her
kill her
kill her this happened on two occasions but Joyce
this happened on two occasions but Joyce
this happened on two occasions but Joyce was one of the lucky few to escape an
was one of the lucky few to escape an
was one of the lucky few to escape an albinism attack as she was telling me a
albinism attack as she was telling me a
albinism attack as she was telling me a story her father had to leave the room
story her father had to leave the room
story her father had to leave the room because of the memories this event
because of the memories this event
because of the memories this event brought to him and her mother had tears
brought to him and her mother had tears
brought to him and her mother had tears in her eyes off-camera Joyce looked at
in her eyes off-camera Joyce looked at
in her eyes off-camera Joyce looked at me and said for a long time I didn’t
me and said for a long time I didn’t
me and said for a long time I didn’t understand why they hated me so much why
understand why they hated me so much why
understand why they hated me so much why they want to take my life away or why I
they want to take my life away or why I
they want to take my life away or why I couldn’t be like the other boys and
couldn’t be like the other boys and
couldn’t be like the other boys and girls but as I grew older I began to
girls but as I grew older I began to
girls but as I grew older I began to understand that I’m different I’m
understand that I’m different I’m
understand that I’m different I’m special and that scares them
special and that scares them
special and that scares them Joyce’s family is one of the most caring
Joyce’s family is one of the most caring
Joyce’s family is one of the most caring supportive and loving families I know
supportive and loving families I know
supportive and loving families I know her younger brother also has albinism
her younger brother also has albinism
her younger brother also has albinism but her pants have never been ashamed of
but her pants have never been ashamed of
but her pants have never been ashamed of them if they’ve secured education for
them if they’ve secured education for
them if they’ve secured education for both and then everything to help them
both and then everything to help them
both and then everything to help them live life like I would and like you were
live life like I would and like you were
live life like I would and like you were I also visited the Salvation Army’s who
I also visited the Salvation Army’s who
I also visited the Salvation Army’s who we’re about a hundred children with
we’re about a hundred children with
we’re about a hundred children with albinism reside there I met a young boy
albinism reside there I met a young boy
albinism reside there I met a young boy named Sadie Sadie told me that he grew
named Sadie Sadie told me that he grew
named Sadie Sadie told me that he grew up mooing knowing that people wanted to
up mooing knowing that people wanted to
up mooing knowing that people wanted to kill him that people wanted his body
kill him that people wanted his body
kill him that people wanted his body parts for their own absurd and selfish
parts for their own absurd and selfish
parts for their own absurd and selfish reasons
reasons
reasons it saddens me to know the children at
it saddens me to know the children at
it saddens me to know the children at the school were all so full of life the
the school were all so full of life the
the school were all so full of life the eyes glistened with hope and happiness
eyes glistened with hope and happiness
eyes glistened with hope and happiness and they smile with so much kindness it
and they smile with so much kindness it
and they smile with so much kindness it saddens me to know that their childhood
saddens me to know that their childhood
saddens me to know that their childhood is filled with fear that there are
is filled with fear that there are
is filled with fear that there are people out there who do not see them as
people out there who do not see them as
people out there who do not see them as human beings but as objects who did not
human beings but as objects who did not
human beings but as objects who did not deserve the gift of life persons with
deserve the gift of life persons with
deserve the gift of life persons with albinism are constantly under threat
albinism are constantly under threat
albinism are constantly under threat especially during the childhood the most
especially during the childhood the most
especially during the childhood the most sacred time of an individual’s life they
sacred time of an individual’s life they
sacred time of an individual’s life they get faced oppression in the workplace
get faced oppression in the workplace
get faced oppression in the workplace they get stares as they walk down the
they get stares as they walk down the
they get stares as they walk down the street
street
street can you imagine a life like that a life
can you imagine a life like that a life
can you imagine a life like that a life when people do not see you for who you
when people do not see you for who you
when people do not see you for who you are but as an object that can grant them
are but as an object that can grant them
are but as an object that can grant them with whatever they like for a ghost a
with whatever they like for a ghost a
with whatever they like for a ghost a bad omen someone who is unworthy of life
bad omen someone who is unworthy of life
bad omen someone who is unworthy of life I personally refuse to live knowing that
I personally refuse to live knowing that
I personally refuse to live knowing that my fellow Tanzanians live in these
my fellow Tanzanians live in these
my fellow Tanzanians live in these circumstances and I refuse to sit back
circumstances and I refuse to sit back
circumstances and I refuse to sit back and watch all this happen without saying
and watch all this happen without saying
and watch all this happen without saying a word I call out to all of you tell me
a word I call out to all of you tell me
a word I call out to all of you tell me support persons with albinism believe in
support persons with albinism believe in
support persons with albinism believe in them enable them to live healthy lives
them enable them to live healthy lives
them enable them to live healthy lives to access education to ensure that they
to access education to ensure that they
to access education to ensure that they live in happiness with their families
live in happiness with their families
live in happiness with their families and without fear we need to educate the
and without fear we need to educate the
and without fear we need to educate the east african community expose the truth
east african community expose the truth
east african community expose the truth and dispel the light show everyone that
and dispel the light show everyone that
and dispel the light show everyone that albinism is simply a condition with
albinism is simply a condition with
albinism is simply a condition with biological defects none that are
biological defects none that are
biological defects none that are intellectual and none that make them
intellectual and none that make them
intellectual and none that make them different from you and me because the
different from you and me because the
different from you and me because the only thing you do when you kill a person
only thing you do when you kill a person
only thing you do when you kill a person with albinism is take another innocent
with albinism is take another innocent
with albinism is take another innocent and valuable life away thank you
”
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