Last summer several media stories appeared about the murder of people with albinism in Tanzania. A BBC investigation revealed in July 2008 that "twenty-five people with albinism have been murdered in Tanzania since March. Albinos are targeted for body parts that are used in witchcraft, and killings continue despite government efforts to stamp out the grisly practice."The NY Times reported in June: "Many people in Tanzania - and across Africa, for that matter - believe albinos have magical powers. They stand out, often the lone white face in a black crowd, a result of a genetic condition that impairs normal skin pigmentation and affects about 1 in 3,000 people here. Tanzanian officials say witch doctors are now marketing albino skin, bones and hair as ingredients in potions that are promised to make people rich."
In the picture from the NY Times, Samuel Mluge, center, sits on a bus in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on June 2. He says he constantly feels threatened.
The group, Under the Same Sun, is working to stop these atrocities against people with albinism. You can sign a petition supporting its efforts on its Web site.
