people with albinism are being killed
because of superstition if you get the
body parts of our vino you'll become
rich so people started to hunt us like
away the animals people started to chop
us because they want to become rich
Josaphat Torah is one of about a hundred
thousand albino people living in
Tanzania in East Africa albinism is
relatively common one in 3,000 children
are born albino versus 1 in 200,000 in
the US since 2000 a series of murders
have left more than 72 Alvino people
dead in Tanzania these murders are
believed to have been motivated by a
lucrative trade of albino body parts
that some believed to have magical
properties in January 2015
Tanzania banned witch doctors the
government believes they have fueled
these attacks by convincing people to
sell them albino body parts to make
talismans the hands and feet of albino
people usually children are believed to
bring prosperity or to ward off bad luck
but this ban on which doctors doesn't
mean Joseph's artwork is over he's an
albino activist in Tanzania who is
dedicating his life to raise awareness
and acceptance towards el pino people
thank you so firstly I just wanted to
touch on your personal story what was it
like growing up as an albino person here
in Tanzania if you have this condition
if you are someone who is like a ghost
it means you are not really a human
being so that's why if you are born with
this different Cara like what I have now
it's really an issue for example when I
was born my mother was advised to poison
me because at that time it was like a
kasi you know it was like a shame people
they do not have a knowledge who we are
I mean what is the causes of albinism is
when I was about seven years my mother
took me to the you know to go to the
skill it was really a struggle I was
born a child with albinism in a 1,000
children who are black and it was now
very difficult because they didn't want
the children you know to sit closer by
me is because they thought albinism is
something in which you can contaminate
touching your with closer so I suffered
a again and I first challenges because
you know children or people with
albinism they are facing low visually
problem and when I was in the classroom
I was not able to tell you the teacher
that I cannot see because I was afraid
if I said maybe the children again they
laugh at me for sure
- Devon who's this Karla it is really a
challenge and what about adults with
albinism in Tanzania what kind of life
can they expect people do not know what
albinism is for example when I wanted to
marry
it was really an issue I faced a lot of
challenges
my wife was now we are together when we
I started to process she was like I
cannot be married by by you you know
people will not understand the well why
I decided to choose you then I said what
is the difference me and you yeah we are
still a human being if I cut my broaden
the vehicle
you cut your blood it could be the same
I decided to preach more about dig initi
so it is really very difficult but
especially in the past years to marry a
person who do not have an organism what
sort of health issues do lb know people
face here as you know in the Africa we
have restaurants and we have very
literal mirroring so the Sun raises
which comes to us is really bankís many
of us we do not reach the other stage
because of the skin cancer we lack
you know Santino ssin education to
explain like what is the urbanism what
are the causes will not lie I will a
call so you know the mythologist is so
people with the albinism die you know
80% die at your home they are not able
to access health services because of
poverty and that because of neck
attitude because of infrastructure
problem what is the average lifespan of
a I'll be no person intention is what a
40 to 30 Dow 30 to 40 years yes
unfortunately over the last few years
there has been a string of murders
specifically targeting I'll be no people
can you tell us why how has that
happened people with albinism are being
killed because of superstition if you
get the body parts of Arduino you'll
become rich so people started to hunt us
like with the animals people started to
chop us because they want to become rich
sixty two thousand seven after now in
two thousand fourteen seventy three
people we are cured and eleven people
now I injured it means they have got you
know disability they lost the arm see
they lost their limbs and we started to
live in fear for sure because they again
the community members like the family
members started to sell their pharaohs
like my family if I'm not careful they
are able to begin and this you know they
sell me even your own family yeah
exactly I have found many parents there
are being even convicted to this they
solved they are children to the killers
the question is who is behind to
discourage people saying traditional
healers people saying politicians people
saying meaning fishermen people saying
those people were operator operating
like mining work why this body parts are
being sold in a high price
who is the man you consumer these are
the big equations
so you think behind these killings of el
pino people it's very wealthy
businessman there are those people who
have enough resources means it couldn't
be business people because they want to
increase more resources it could be
politicians many you know decision
makers are going to the traditional
heroes to ask
you see so I cannot say directly there
they are politicians but there is a
sense there are those people who have
enough resources and it really I blame
them how is your own personal safety
played out over the last years I decided
to organize a peace walker demonstration
all over the country where the president
of Tanzania who was the guest of Ahana
is rude this time I started to get
threats like getting in you know texting
messages telling me that you have to
stop talking me you have you know you
are not allowed to speak and in 2012 I
was attacked can you just explain what
happened when you were attacked there
was a killing in the Arusha so I decided
to organize myself to go there and the
true speakers the community because it
was very angry why why we are being
killed why we are a Tanzanian people we
have to be protected we are human being
don't kill us
yeah so these people who are dealing
with this business they were angry
because I was taking an action so in the
minute midnight in the hotel you where
are we where these people they came they
broke my door and then they were pulling
me from the my room to the another car
which they have police we are there they
were able to catch them that's lucky
yeah as you've just described as
obviously extremely dangerous was there
a defining moment which made you think
right I'm gonna devote the rest of my
life to activism for Albina rights I
feel very bad to say you know like
innocent people with albinism war who
are now suffering in discrimination
suffering killings and attacks many
children with albinism and the people
with albinism are being forced to go to
live the death sentence hundreds of
hundreds of people with ambience is work
are continuing to do until I see the
liberation of the people with the
albinism the freedom so what are your
girls now what are you pushing these
in government today I'm pushing to the
government to the Tanzania government is
to protect the US is to increase more
efforts the government should have a
dialogue with the community to explain
about these issues because we are
Tanzanian citizen we needed to be
protected like other people they way how
they are being protected
so are we continuing to fight every
country I will not give up for sure
until you when I see people with the
albinism now are living like other
people it's the from it's my calling