The other day I was at a barber’s trimming my hair when a teenage albino boy entered the room. I saw him in the mirror in front of me as he entered. In his hands he carried a 20-litre water container (full of water). I figured that he was one of the many water-peddlers that are part of the hurly burly of life in Dar es Salaam.
As the albino was emptying the water into another container in the room, the barber stopped working on my hair and directed his gaze in the direction of the water-peddler. I gathered, from the barber’s expression I saw in the mirror, that he was not at all amused.
The burly barber blurted: “At what time did I tell you to bring water here? It seems you are taking me for granted.”
The albino seemed unaffected by the complaint of his client for he was grinning the while the barber ranted.
The barber was irked the more by the grinning of the teenager for, to him, it was like reducing his concerns to nothing.
The albino was by the door ready to go out, when the barber said:
“If you do that again…,”he said, as he looked in the mirror into my eyes and continued, "I’ll surely cut off one of your fingers. I could get a lot of money doing that, you know. So, please, don’t provoke me!”
The albino was out the door before the burly man could finish.
The statement of the barber jolted me and it got me thinking.
Was that statement an open declaration on behalf of the society that people are ready to do anything, however murky, to get cheap money?
Are people concerned about the welfare of people whose lives are in danger by virtue of how they naturally are?
Why don’t people choose their words carefully when talking to people whose lives have the sword of Damocles hanging over them?
Do people really understand what the fight against albino killings entails (and that it takes the whole community to do the “policing”)?
What should be done?
The Tanzanian public should be made even more aware about the albino issue. More and more albino stories should be brought to the fore (but journalists should be careful not to blow things out of proportion in the spur of the moment).
Lastly, people should be made aware of the prosecutions of the perpetrators of impunity as far as the killing of albinos is concerned. In the same vein, more perpetrators should be brought to book.
Tanzanian leaders should lead in the fight against albino killings – from in front – in their talk, walk and attitude.
[I wish to laud the stand of some religious leaders in Tanzania who have been bold enough to use their podiums to decry this evil being visited on albinos. May the good Lord richly bless you].
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
The guarantee of Albinos’ right to life is under threat
Post by Daily News Columnist G. Madaraka Nyerere
A few days ago I stopped at a roadblock and a police officer asked me to give a ride to an albino woman who was taking her child to a clinic. At a time when albinos are hunted down...
Read the rest here
A few days ago I stopped at a roadblock and a police officer asked me to give a ride to an albino woman who was taking her child to a clinic. At a time when albinos are hunted down...
Read the rest here
Albino kidnap plotters to appear in court
Eight people arrested here last Sunday for allegedly plotting to kidnap and kill one Hussein Power (15) an albino herdsman...Read the rest here
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Businessman who wanted a “live” albino hits wall with bare Fists
A well-known vehicle spare parts dealer together with seven other people has been arrested in Mbarali District, Mbeya Region, for attempting to kidnap and kill an albino. [Mbeya Region is in the South-West of Tanzania and it borders Malawi]
They are said to have attempted to kidnap 15-year-old Hussein Power (an albino). The kidnappers had been promised Tsh I Million (approx. USD 835) on “successful delivery” of the boy (alive) to the spare parts businessman (for he is the one who had commissioned the kidnapping).
The businessman, Benedicto Mwachembe and his accomplices were caught one fine morning recently after their failed kidnap attempt.
On the material day of the crime, Hussein Power who grazes his family’s cattle did not go out to graze. His young brother, Sai Power (12), went in his stead. Hussein was left at home.
While Sai was tending the cattle in the field, he was suddenly surrounded by the suspects who wielded machetes and an assorted array of crude weapons. They asked the young boy where his albino brother was. He told them that he was at home.
When they left, Sai ran home to tell his mother what he had witnessed. The young boy said that two of the suspects were his relatives (from his father’s side of the family).
When the police got onto the heels of the suspects, one thing led to another and all of them were caught. When they were interrogated they admitted that they were on the payroll of the businessman for he was the one who had asked them to get the albino for him.
The police went to the home of the businessman to further their investigation. While there, they discovered a deep hole in one of the rooms. The hole was covered with a curtain on top.
It was learnt that that is where he, the spare parts dealer, “finished off” his victims.
One of the policemen said (about the room): “The room is very dark and is extremely scary. It is also very dangerous. It is made in such a way that even if victims screams on top of their lungs, no one can hear them from outside.”
They are said to have attempted to kidnap 15-year-old Hussein Power (an albino). The kidnappers had been promised Tsh I Million (approx. USD 835) on “successful delivery” of the boy (alive) to the spare parts businessman (for he is the one who had commissioned the kidnapping).
The businessman, Benedicto Mwachembe and his accomplices were caught one fine morning recently after their failed kidnap attempt.
On the material day of the crime, Hussein Power who grazes his family’s cattle did not go out to graze. His young brother, Sai Power (12), went in his stead. Hussein was left at home.
While Sai was tending the cattle in the field, he was suddenly surrounded by the suspects who wielded machetes and an assorted array of crude weapons. They asked the young boy where his albino brother was. He told them that he was at home.
When they left, Sai ran home to tell his mother what he had witnessed. The young boy said that two of the suspects were his relatives (from his father’s side of the family).
When the police got onto the heels of the suspects, one thing led to another and all of them were caught. When they were interrogated they admitted that they were on the payroll of the businessman for he was the one who had asked them to get the albino for him.
The police went to the home of the businessman to further their investigation. While there, they discovered a deep hole in one of the rooms. The hole was covered with a curtain on top.
It was learnt that that is where he, the spare parts dealer, “finished off” his victims.
One of the policemen said (about the room): “The room is very dark and is extremely scary. It is also very dangerous. It is made in such a way that even if victims screams on top of their lungs, no one can hear them from outside.”
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Who will Speak up for US if we don’t Speak up for THEM?
When I look at the albino killings in Tanzania and the attitude of people towards the same (the uncaring attitude exhibited by some of us), I can’t help but think of the sober message in a poem titled FIRST THEY CAME which was written by the prominent German anti-Nazi activist, Pastor Martin Niemöller.
FIRST THEY CAME...
In Germany they came first for the Communists,
And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
And I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
And by that time no one was left to speak up for me.
…I shudder and cringe at the thought of such a situation ever happening TO ME…
My brothers and sisters, speaking up for albinos is our divine responsibility. Another thing, you don’t have to be an albino to speak out.
Taking the government to task and fervently asking why these heinous acts of violence against albinos are being perpetrated under the very 'bulbous' nose of the state, is the first step to much-needed healing.
Something has to give; something's gotta be done!
Well, if we don't speak up for the hurting, shunned, sidelined and…hunted members of our society, who will speak up for us when the perpetrators of this dastardly act come for us.
Food for thought, this.
FIRST THEY CAME...
In Germany they came first for the Communists,
And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
And I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
And by that time no one was left to speak up for me.
…I shudder and cringe at the thought of such a situation ever happening TO ME…
My brothers and sisters, speaking up for albinos is our divine responsibility. Another thing, you don’t have to be an albino to speak out.
Taking the government to task and fervently asking why these heinous acts of violence against albinos are being perpetrated under the very 'bulbous' nose of the state, is the first step to much-needed healing.
Something has to give; something's gotta be done!
Well, if we don't speak up for the hurting, shunned, sidelined and…hunted members of our society, who will speak up for us when the perpetrators of this dastardly act come for us.
Food for thought, this.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Women lawyers in Tanzania fault pace of tackling albino killings
A non-governmental organisation, Women Legal Aid Centre (WLAC) yesterday expressed its disappointment at the authorities` slow pace in tackling killing of albinos in Tanzania, which has seriously...
Read the rest here
Read the rest here
Monday, December 8, 2008
Help curb albino killings, academicians challenged
Lecturers at the Mzumbe University in Morogoro have challenged all learned persons to join ranks with the government to help stop albino killings and other social vices that put the nation to shame.
Read the rest here...
Read the rest here...
The Prayer of an Albino in Tanzania
With a contrite heart I come to You, O God. Your word tells me that I am inscribed on the palm of Your hand. That word gives me strength and confidence to stand before You and pour out my heart.
You know my predicament O God. I have no happiness anymore. Joy vanished from my life long time ago. Living in Tanzania has become a living hell to me and to my brothers and sisters.
O Mighty God, You say that You created all human beings in Your image and likeness. So if all human beings are in Your image and likeness then there’s no greater human being. Or is there? Why, then, are things so unfair here on earth?
Some people think that You, O God, put in me (hidden somewhere, I don’t know where) a magical charm. A charm that if accessed by people who need instant wealth, then zap! it is theirs (the wealth).
If it is really there, O God, why did You not put it in other people, too. Your word says that you are a fair God. Did You design that I should be hunted like an antelope and killed mercilessly so that people can “extract” that which they deem is in me (that they badly need to bid farewell to beggary)?
I know I look different from other people that You created, O God. My hair, my eyes, my skin are all different from those of other people. I look pale and every time I pass somewhere a dozen heads turn in my direction.
Walking in the sun is a challenging experience. My light skin is always on the receiving end of the “brutal” nature of the sun. My eyes, too, are affected by the sun’s rays. I have to squint as I chart my way around. I prefer staying at home to going out. But then, that can never always be the case as I have to fend for myself. So I have to go out.
As I go about my day to day business, I have learnt to look behind every now and then to try to determine if there is anyone who is following me. Or even to see if there are any curious looking people so that I can take off at the speed of light! The feeling in me at these times is akin to that felt by a bull that realizes it is being led to an abattoir.
God, please don’t smile as this is something that makes me wish that I were long dead.
The media reports the killings of my brothers and sisters in various parts of my country, Tanzania. They are hacked and slain mercilessly. This happens just so that the mutilators and murderers can get parts of their bodies.
O God, why do You let these people continue living. Strike them with lightning! Blot them from the face of the earth. We are suffering, O God.
I honestly don’t know how long I have before they also come for my head, legs and hands. I don’t know how long I have left before they hack me. I don’t know how long…
I dread that day. I dread the day I will hear the long and strident knock on my door. I dread the day I’ll see menacing-looking individuals wielding machetes and baying for my blood. Oh, I dread…!
O God, please save me from my neighbours. Please save me from the strangulating hands of a corrupt society.
O God, You are my only hope in these trying times. Please don’t turn Your eyes away from me.
Amen.
The Legs of an Albino recovered at a Witchdoctor's
You know my predicament O God. I have no happiness anymore. Joy vanished from my life long time ago. Living in Tanzania has become a living hell to me and to my brothers and sisters.
O Mighty God, You say that You created all human beings in Your image and likeness. So if all human beings are in Your image and likeness then there’s no greater human being. Or is there? Why, then, are things so unfair here on earth?
Some people think that You, O God, put in me (hidden somewhere, I don’t know where) a magical charm. A charm that if accessed by people who need instant wealth, then zap! it is theirs (the wealth).
If it is really there, O God, why did You not put it in other people, too. Your word says that you are a fair God. Did You design that I should be hunted like an antelope and killed mercilessly so that people can “extract” that which they deem is in me (that they badly need to bid farewell to beggary)?
I know I look different from other people that You created, O God. My hair, my eyes, my skin are all different from those of other people. I look pale and every time I pass somewhere a dozen heads turn in my direction.
Walking in the sun is a challenging experience. My light skin is always on the receiving end of the “brutal” nature of the sun. My eyes, too, are affected by the sun’s rays. I have to squint as I chart my way around. I prefer staying at home to going out. But then, that can never always be the case as I have to fend for myself. So I have to go out.
As I go about my day to day business, I have learnt to look behind every now and then to try to determine if there is anyone who is following me. Or even to see if there are any curious looking people so that I can take off at the speed of light! The feeling in me at these times is akin to that felt by a bull that realizes it is being led to an abattoir.
God, please don’t smile as this is something that makes me wish that I were long dead.
The media reports the killings of my brothers and sisters in various parts of my country, Tanzania. They are hacked and slain mercilessly. This happens just so that the mutilators and murderers can get parts of their bodies.
O God, why do You let these people continue living. Strike them with lightning! Blot them from the face of the earth. We are suffering, O God.
I honestly don’t know how long I have before they also come for my head, legs and hands. I don’t know how long I have left before they hack me. I don’t know how long…
I dread that day. I dread the day I will hear the long and strident knock on my door. I dread the day I’ll see menacing-looking individuals wielding machetes and baying for my blood. Oh, I dread…!
O God, please save me from my neighbours. Please save me from the strangulating hands of a corrupt society.
O God, You are my only hope in these trying times. Please don’t turn Your eyes away from me.
Amen.
The Legs of an Albino recovered at a Witchdoctor's
The Legs of an Albino recovered at a Witchdoctor’s
It was in the news the other day (on ITV). The presenter of the news warned us, the viewers, that the images we were about to see were disturbing. I braced myself to face the disturbing images.
The story was of an albino boy who was killed with his head being chopped off and both his legs being hewn off and taken away. The boy’s mother who is a cripple told the sad story to journalists.
When the alarm (of the killing) was raised, a thorough search was conducted by the authorities in Bukombe District where the boy’s home was.
One thing led to another and, finally, the mutilated legs of the boy were found in a local witchdoctor’s house. The pictures of these dismembered limbs sent shivers down my spine. I couldn’t bring myself to understand this heartlessness and gory inhumanity meted on a fellow human being.
To add salt to injury, the boy was the bread-winner for the family as the mother is a cripple. Talk of a family blighted and thrown down a bottomless abyss!
My Two Cents: Local witchdoctors should undergo a rigorous and exhaustive system of ascertaining their “genuineness” and “integrity in the business” before they are licensed. Witchdoctors who are found to be advocating for the killing of albinos (or prescribing the usage of albino body parts) should be de-licensed. Legal proceedings should also be instituted against the proponents of this cowardly act.
The responsibility of making sure albinos are safe lies not only on the shoulders of the government, but also on the shoulders of the community and society that surrounds them.
The Prayer of an Albino in Tanzania
The story was of an albino boy who was killed with his head being chopped off and both his legs being hewn off and taken away. The boy’s mother who is a cripple told the sad story to journalists.
When the alarm (of the killing) was raised, a thorough search was conducted by the authorities in Bukombe District where the boy’s home was.
One thing led to another and, finally, the mutilated legs of the boy were found in a local witchdoctor’s house. The pictures of these dismembered limbs sent shivers down my spine. I couldn’t bring myself to understand this heartlessness and gory inhumanity meted on a fellow human being.
To add salt to injury, the boy was the bread-winner for the family as the mother is a cripple. Talk of a family blighted and thrown down a bottomless abyss!
My Two Cents: Local witchdoctors should undergo a rigorous and exhaustive system of ascertaining their “genuineness” and “integrity in the business” before they are licensed. Witchdoctors who are found to be advocating for the killing of albinos (or prescribing the usage of albino body parts) should be de-licensed. Legal proceedings should also be instituted against the proponents of this cowardly act.
The responsibility of making sure albinos are safe lies not only on the shoulders of the government, but also on the shoulders of the community and society that surrounds them.
The Prayer of an Albino in Tanzania
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Albino Killings: It's a blame Game in the Government
The Home Affairs ministry has cited inadequate resources as the reason for its failure to curb the problem of albino killings and laid the blame on the Treasury.
``The killings are an embarrassment and a disgrace to the good image of our country. Police are failing to operate well...
Read the rest here...
``The killings are an embarrassment and a disgrace to the good image of our country. Police are failing to operate well...
Read the rest here...
Monday, December 1, 2008
Mariam Stanford’s Double Tragedy
Mariam Stanford is the albino whose arms were chopped off by her neighbour (together with his accomplices) recently in Ngara District in Tanzania.
She was six months pregnant at the time tragedy struck. I remember in the days that followed this “heinous crime”, when still in hospital, she had been appealing to well wishers to help her take care of her unborn child when it was eventually born. She knew it would be close to impossible to take care of her unborn child (when it was born) as she does not have hands.
But alas, apparently she will not be in need of anyone to take care of her unborn child. She has lost her child through a miscarriage. Quite unfortunate and cruel.
Mariam has gone through a lot of heartache. This is clearly a traumatizing period in her life and that of her family. Thousands of other albinos in Tanzania have their own versions of the trauma that they have had to contend with since this violence against them started. This is a really difficult period for them.
Concrete action, and not just mere words of threat against the perpetrators of the violence, needs to be taken (and fast!).
Meanwhile :
The authorities have barred journalists and media practitioners from interviewing Mariam at her hospital bed for fear that the media will paint a gloomy picture of the whole affair thus blow things (the plight of albinos in Tanzania) out of proportion.
I can’t help but wonder what the authorities in Tanzania take journalists for: A bunch of people who don’t know what they are doing; professionals who are not guided by codes of ethics thus they can write and say anything just anyhow; people who are less human thus they have little or no respect for human suffering; people who don’t know what to report and what to give weight to in a story. I wonder.
I also question the authorities’ decision to deny the general public an insight into the story by barring the media from getting information from the horse’s own mouth.
Being a journalist myself I know that this is not fair to the general populace for journalism’s first obligation is to the truth and its first loyalty is to the citizens.
The Society of Professional Journalists believes that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues.
Can justice be seen to have been done? This is a clarion call to you, Sirs…
Four cops nabbed in Shinyanga over albino killings
She was six months pregnant at the time tragedy struck. I remember in the days that followed this “heinous crime”, when still in hospital, she had been appealing to well wishers to help her take care of her unborn child when it was eventually born. She knew it would be close to impossible to take care of her unborn child (when it was born) as she does not have hands.
But alas, apparently she will not be in need of anyone to take care of her unborn child. She has lost her child through a miscarriage. Quite unfortunate and cruel.
Mariam has gone through a lot of heartache. This is clearly a traumatizing period in her life and that of her family. Thousands of other albinos in Tanzania have their own versions of the trauma that they have had to contend with since this violence against them started. This is a really difficult period for them.
Concrete action, and not just mere words of threat against the perpetrators of the violence, needs to be taken (and fast!).
Meanwhile :
The authorities have barred journalists and media practitioners from interviewing Mariam at her hospital bed for fear that the media will paint a gloomy picture of the whole affair thus blow things (the plight of albinos in Tanzania) out of proportion.
I can’t help but wonder what the authorities in Tanzania take journalists for: A bunch of people who don’t know what they are doing; professionals who are not guided by codes of ethics thus they can write and say anything just anyhow; people who are less human thus they have little or no respect for human suffering; people who don’t know what to report and what to give weight to in a story. I wonder.
I also question the authorities’ decision to deny the general public an insight into the story by barring the media from getting information from the horse’s own mouth.
Being a journalist myself I know that this is not fair to the general populace for journalism’s first obligation is to the truth and its first loyalty is to the citizens.
The Society of Professional Journalists believes that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues.
Can justice be seen to have been done? This is a clarion call to you, Sirs…
Four cops nabbed in Shinyanga over albino killings
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