James Kasonda
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- Apr 2, 2012
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'I begged them not to take my arm away': Albino woman reveals thehorrific moment gang hacked off her limb with a machete to sell to Tanzanianblack magic witchdoctor
Kulwa Lusana wasjust a teenager when the five men held her down and attacked her with machetesas she lay in bed at her home in north-west Tanzania, before bundling her arminto one of their coats and running off into the night.
Shockingly, Kulwawas lucky: she is one of hundreds of victims of the sickening trade in albinobody parts, used in potions mixed by so-called witch doctors for the rich andpowerful.
Onthe road to recovery: This picture, taken six months after the attack, showshow well her wounds healed
Indescribable:Kulwa was 15 when five men broke into her home in north-west Tanzania andattacked her
Vile: They usedmachetes to hack off her arm, leaving her bleeding on the bed where she hadbeen sleeping
Trade: It isbelieved albino people's skin can bring luck and wealth to a person - and someare willing to pay thousands for a limb, let along a whole body, in order togive themselves an advantage
And not all thosewho are targeted for the colour of their skin survive the attack.
In the last sixmonths, 15 people with albinism have been maimed or killed - including severaltoddlers snatched from their homes.
It is a lucrativetrade for those willing to maim and murder: entire bodies can be sold for asmuch as £50,000, with limbs bringing in a few thousand.
Both are a fortunefor those depraved enough to carry out the dreadful assaults.
What's more,conviction rates for those who are caught are still dreadfully low, which meansthe horrendous crime is relatively low risk for those involved.
Kulwa was attackedin 2011, as she lay in bed, asleep in the shed which doubled as her bedroom.Her twin sister, and the rest of her family, slept in a brick house not far away- safe behind a locked door.
'I was 15 when ithappened,' she told UNICEF.'Five people broke into our bedroom. They saw me and proceeded to hack my armoff. I can't begin to describe the pain.'
She revealed moredetails to the charity Under the SameSun (UTSS) shortly after the attack, as she lay recovering inhospital.
Widespread: Thebelief is particularly strong in Tanzania, but there have been killings andattacks in countries like Burundi and Malawi (where the child in the picturelives)
'I tried to hidethe piece that was left of my arm by pressing it against the covers,' she said.'I begged them not to take my arm away and called out for help.
'I called myfather. I felt two more strikes on the left shoulder and then on the head as Iwas trying to escape. They ran out as I was trying to run to my fathershouse.'
Her arm, like thelimbs of many people with albinism, will then have been taken to a witchdoctor.
Who they sell thepotion to has never been proved: no purchaser has ever been prosecuted, but itis said they are willing to pay a fortune.
But Kulwa wasunequivocal about what should happen if the men who took her arm were everfound.
'If those men arecaught they should be killed the same way they murder us,' she said.
Surge: In the lastsix months, 15 people have been kidnapped, maimed or killed
The discriminationKulwa faced began long before those men broke into her home, which she sharedwith her mother, father and siblings.
Many peoplebelieve albinos are bad luck or 'ghosts', and they are treated as almost secondclass citizens by their families.
SKINCANCER: THE DEADLIEST FOE OF TANZANIA'S ALBINOS
Shockingly, theattacks against Tanzania's albino populations are far from the biggest riskthey face.
In fact, it is thesun which is the biggest killer: according to Standing Voice, acharity set up by UK-based documentary maker Harry Freeland, less than two percent of people with albinism living in the east African country make it to theage of 40 because of the 'epidemic' rates of skin cancer.
People withalbinism lack the protection of melanin in their skin - which causes the lackof colour - leaving them vulnerable the sun's cancer-causing ultra violetlight.
But there arepeople working to try and counter the terrible statistic: Standing Voice isproviding education about the dangers of the sun, protective clothing and sunscreen to help prevent skin cancers developing in the first place.
'My father didn'tsend me to school because he was scared I would get sunburnt and faint,' sheexplains in the video.
But then thecaring story seems to take a more worrying turn.
'So I stayed homeand helped with chores, like cooking, doing the dishes, washing clothes.
'When my siblingswent to school, I'd make them breakfast and prepare their uniforms.
'That was myplace.'
The fact she wassleeping in the shed, while her sister - who does not have albinism - was inthe house, is another telling sign of how her father regarded her.
But now 19, thingshave changed for Kulwa.
After she lost herarm, Kulwa was taken to a safe house run by UTSS, which works to protectTanzania's albinos, and change the beliefs around the skin colour.
Thanks to UTSS,Kulwa began getting an education, and learnt how to be a tailor.
'I also learned howto knit sweaters,' she said. 'I learned all of this with only one arm.'
Kulwa hopes tostart her own knitting business - and the smile on her face shows just howproud she is of the skills she has acquired.
New start: Butthanks to Under the Same Sun, a charity working to help Tanzania's albinos,Kulwa has now learnt how to be a tailor and knit, and runs her own businesses
Vile: They usedmachetes to hack off her arm, leaving her bleeding on the bed where she hadbeen sleeping
Dedicated:Charities like Under the Same Sun work relentlessly to help people like Kulwa,pictured here in 2012 wearing clothes to help protect her vulnerable skin fromthe sun's cancer causing rays
WHERE1 IN EVERY 1,400 BABIES ARE BORN AN ALBINO
The albinopopulation of Tanzania is far larger than almost anywhere else on earth: it isestimated every one in 1,400 babies are born with albinism.
In contrast, ratesin Europe are closer to every one in 20,000.
It is not knownexactly why it is higher here than anywhere else, but the condition is causedby a recessive gene.
Should bothparents have the gene, there is a one in four chance of their child being bornwith albinism.
But it doesn'tjust affect the colour of their skin, hair and eyes: it can also affect theireyesight. Many people with albinism are considered legally blind in Europe andAmerica.
Vicky Ntema, ofUTSS, told MailOnline there were a few hurdles to overcome before she reachedher goal.
'She would benefitfrom a functioning prosthetic arm, and she would need professional knitting andsewing machines to start her own business or work with another woman.'
Kulwa is safe, butthere are many who are not, and there is an election this October, so thoseworking to stem the problem of albino attacks fear it could mean they are oncemore in grave danger.
Elections are adangerous time for albino people as some seek to gain an advantage over theirrivals with the help of witch doctors' magic.
However,governments are starting to take decisive action.
Police acrossMalawi have been ordered to shoot anyone caught attacking albinos, whileTanzania's prime minister has urged citizens to kill anyone found with albinobody parts.
And in nearbyBurundi, albino youngsters from across East Africa are being housed in specialaccommodation under army protection in a bid to deter attackers.
As for Kulwa, nowsafe thanks to UTTS, there is still one thing which plays on her mind: shehasn't seen any of her family since the attack.
'If I could see mymother again, I would be so happy,' she said. 'I really miss her. Actually, Imiss my whole family.'
Read more:
- Kulwa Lusana was 15 when she was attacked by five men in Tanzania
- They hacked off her right arm with a machete and left her for dead
- She is one of hundreds of victims of a trade in albino body parts sold for thousands to fuel a trade in black magic potions brewed for 'luck'
- Kulwa has now learnt to knit one-handed and hopes to start a business
Kulwa Lusana wasjust a teenager when the five men held her down and attacked her with machetesas she lay in bed at her home in north-west Tanzania, before bundling her arminto one of their coats and running off into the night.
Shockingly, Kulwawas lucky: she is one of hundreds of victims of the sickening trade in albinobody parts, used in potions mixed by so-called witch doctors for the rich andpowerful.
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And not all thosewho are targeted for the colour of their skin survive the attack.
In the last sixmonths, 15 people with albinism have been maimed or killed - including severaltoddlers snatched from their homes.
It is a lucrativetrade for those willing to maim and murder: entire bodies can be sold for asmuch as £50,000, with limbs bringing in a few thousand.
Both are a fortunefor those depraved enough to carry out the dreadful assaults.
What's more,conviction rates for those who are caught are still dreadfully low, which meansthe horrendous crime is relatively low risk for those involved.
Kulwa was attackedin 2011, as she lay in bed, asleep in the shed which doubled as her bedroom.Her twin sister, and the rest of her family, slept in a brick house not far away- safe behind a locked door.
'I was 15 when ithappened,' she told UNICEF.'Five people broke into our bedroom. They saw me and proceeded to hack my armoff. I can't begin to describe the pain.'
She revealed moredetails to the charity Under the SameSun (UTSS) shortly after the attack, as she lay recovering inhospital.
Widespread: Thebelief is particularly strong in Tanzania, but there have been killings andattacks in countries like Burundi and Malawi (where the child in the picturelives)
'I tried to hidethe piece that was left of my arm by pressing it against the covers,' she said.'I begged them not to take my arm away and called out for help.
'I called myfather. I felt two more strikes on the left shoulder and then on the head as Iwas trying to escape. They ran out as I was trying to run to my fathershouse.'
Her arm, like thelimbs of many people with albinism, will then have been taken to a witchdoctor.
Who they sell thepotion to has never been proved: no purchaser has ever been prosecuted, but itis said they are willing to pay a fortune.
But Kulwa wasunequivocal about what should happen if the men who took her arm were everfound.
'If those men arecaught they should be killed the same way they murder us,' she said.
- SHARE PICTURE
Copy link to paste in your message
The discriminationKulwa faced began long before those men broke into her home, which she sharedwith her mother, father and siblings.
Many peoplebelieve albinos are bad luck or 'ghosts', and they are treated as almost secondclass citizens by their families.
SKINCANCER: THE DEADLIEST FOE OF TANZANIA'S ALBINOS
Shockingly, theattacks against Tanzania's albino populations are far from the biggest riskthey face.
In fact, it is thesun which is the biggest killer: according to Standing Voice, acharity set up by UK-based documentary maker Harry Freeland, less than two percent of people with albinism living in the east African country make it to theage of 40 because of the 'epidemic' rates of skin cancer.
People withalbinism lack the protection of melanin in their skin - which causes the lackof colour - leaving them vulnerable the sun's cancer-causing ultra violetlight.
But there arepeople working to try and counter the terrible statistic: Standing Voice isproviding education about the dangers of the sun, protective clothing and sunscreen to help prevent skin cancers developing in the first place.
'My father didn'tsend me to school because he was scared I would get sunburnt and faint,' sheexplains in the video.
But then thecaring story seems to take a more worrying turn.
'So I stayed homeand helped with chores, like cooking, doing the dishes, washing clothes.
'When my siblingswent to school, I'd make them breakfast and prepare their uniforms.
'That was myplace.'
The fact she wassleeping in the shed, while her sister - who does not have albinism - was inthe house, is another telling sign of how her father regarded her.
But now 19, thingshave changed for Kulwa.
After she lost herarm, Kulwa was taken to a safe house run by UTSS, which works to protectTanzania's albinos, and change the beliefs around the skin colour.
Thanks to UTSS,Kulwa began getting an education, and learnt how to be a tailor.
'I also learned howto knit sweaters,' she said. 'I learned all of this with only one arm.'
Kulwa hopes tostart her own knitting business - and the smile on her face shows just howproud she is of the skills she has acquired.
New start: Butthanks to Under the Same Sun, a charity working to help Tanzania's albinos,Kulwa has now learnt how to be a tailor and knit, and runs her own businesses
Vile: They usedmachetes to hack off her arm, leaving her bleeding on the bed where she hadbeen sleeping
Dedicated:Charities like Under the Same Sun work relentlessly to help people like Kulwa,pictured here in 2012 wearing clothes to help protect her vulnerable skin fromthe sun's cancer causing rays
WHERE1 IN EVERY 1,400 BABIES ARE BORN AN ALBINO
The albinopopulation of Tanzania is far larger than almost anywhere else on earth: it isestimated every one in 1,400 babies are born with albinism.
In contrast, ratesin Europe are closer to every one in 20,000.
It is not knownexactly why it is higher here than anywhere else, but the condition is causedby a recessive gene.
Should bothparents have the gene, there is a one in four chance of their child being bornwith albinism.
But it doesn'tjust affect the colour of their skin, hair and eyes: it can also affect theireyesight. Many people with albinism are considered legally blind in Europe andAmerica.
Vicky Ntema, ofUTSS, told MailOnline there were a few hurdles to overcome before she reachedher goal.
'She would benefitfrom a functioning prosthetic arm, and she would need professional knitting andsewing machines to start her own business or work with another woman.'
Kulwa is safe, butthere are many who are not, and there is an election this October, so thoseworking to stem the problem of albino attacks fear it could mean they are oncemore in grave danger.
Elections are adangerous time for albino people as some seek to gain an advantage over theirrivals with the help of witch doctors' magic.
However,governments are starting to take decisive action.
Police acrossMalawi have been ordered to shoot anyone caught attacking albinos, whileTanzania's prime minister has urged citizens to kill anyone found with albinobody parts.
And in nearbyBurundi, albino youngsters from across East Africa are being housed in specialaccommodation under army protection in a bid to deter attackers.
As for Kulwa, nowsafe thanks to UTTS, there is still one thing which plays on her mind: shehasn't seen any of her family since the attack.
'If I could see mymother again, I would be so happy,' she said. 'I really miss her. Actually, Imiss my whole family.'
Read more:
- Under the Same Sun
- standingvoice.org/
- Unicef UK | For every child in danger | Until every child is safe
