Tanzania moves to halt witchcraft murders of albinos
Radio Netherlands ^ | 25 January 2009
Tanzania has revoked the licenses of all its traditional healers in a bid to halt the killings of albinos whose body parts are used for witchcraft.
At least 40 albinos have been killed since the middle of 2007. Around 90 people have been arrested over the past few months suspected of involvement in killing albinos or trading their body parts. Albinos lack pigment in their eyes, skin or hair, making them vulnerable to skin cancer and burns in Africa's sunny climate. They have always had a difficult time of it but, since witch doctors started using their body parts a few years ago, their lives have become hell.
"I fear for my child," says Samuel Miliyo, "I don't let him go to school alone." Samuel and his son, Molle, are part of the Masai people and live just outside Arusha in northern Tanzania, at the foot of Mount Meru, with a glorious view of the savannas below.
Molle is seven years old and albino. He peeps out from under his wide-brimmed hat, his pupils flickering in an attempt to focus. Sun and bright lights are agony. "Last week, some older boys came up and started hitting me. They called me ‘mzungu', a whitie".
(Excerpt) Read more at radionetherlands.nl ...
Radio Netherlands ^ | 25 January 2009
Tanzania has revoked the licenses of all its traditional healers in a bid to halt the killings of albinos whose body parts are used for witchcraft.
At least 40 albinos have been killed since the middle of 2007. Around 90 people have been arrested over the past few months suspected of involvement in killing albinos or trading their body parts. Albinos lack pigment in their eyes, skin or hair, making them vulnerable to skin cancer and burns in Africa's sunny climate. They have always had a difficult time of it but, since witch doctors started using their body parts a few years ago, their lives have become hell.
"I fear for my child," says Samuel Miliyo, "I don't let him go to school alone." Samuel and his son, Molle, are part of the Masai people and live just outside Arusha in northern Tanzania, at the foot of Mount Meru, with a glorious view of the savannas below.
Molle is seven years old and albino. He peeps out from under his wide-brimmed hat, his pupils flickering in an attempt to focus. Sun and bright lights are agony. "Last week, some older boys came up and started hitting me. They called me ‘mzungu', a whitie".
(Excerpt) Read more at radionetherlands.nl ...