Two Morogoro albino siblings under death threat
2008-04-27 10:57:00
By Peter Mwangu
The lives of Amina Abdul (11) and her brother Sadiki (13) are literally on the firing line. The youngsters, pupils at Mtibwa Primary School in Turiani, Morogoro, are being hunted by unknown people because they are albinos.
This has instilled fear and panic in the kids, as well as the school and Kidudwe village where they live.
This reporter has established that some strangers have been making enquiries on the siblings, who form part of the broader albino community in Tanzania who are targeted for murder, as a preamble for superstitious rituals linked to perceived fast wealth-generation.
Their schoolmate, Asteria Pascha, says: ``On Monday this week at around 4pm two short, tough-looking middle-aged men approached me while returning home after school. They asked me if I was studying alongside two albinos, to which I answered in the affirmative.
``I was very shocked when they offered to reward me handsomely with cash if I helped them get the pupils, who they said they wanted for a reason they did not disclose.
They explained that the exercise would be easy because they had established that the parents of the children had been away from the village on a paddy farming mission.``
Asteria said she was alarmed because she had heard news on the radio about albinos being kidnapped, killed, and some of their body parts being used for superstitious motives.
To play it safe, however, she faked co-operation by jotting down on a palm of her hand, a mobile phone number they gave her to facilitate follow-up contacts.
She explained, however, that the number was subsequently erased. She had not memorized it, and wasn`t keen to, because she wouldn`t contact them.
The girl reported the matter to the school administration which consolidated security around Amina and Sadiki, to protect them against abduction, particularly considering that they cover an eight-kilometre round trip to school and home, through a dense sugarcane plantation.
Sadiki was personally contacted by an unknown person who he feared was after him and her sister.
Sadiki said: ``One day two men (different from those who spoke to Asteria) came home with a box full of white garments like our school shirts and my sister Malizia Abdul was cooking in the house.
They told me that they had brought us some clothes but I declined the offer. They left, promising to bring more pleasant gifts on their return visit.``
Sadiki and his sister Amina have to walk the distance to and from school through the sugarcane plantations alone starting at 6am and late in the evening back home.
The school has reported the matter to respective authorities for further action on the security of the innocent kids. ``As teachers we are concerned.
We are taking necessary precautions to protect these kids and we have reported the issue to appropriate authorities,`` remarked a teacher who sought anonymity.
Abdul Said and Fatuma John, parents of the two albinos, have five children, Said, Idi and Malizia.
They lead a poor life and the health of Sadiki and Amina is not very good, due to their skins being too sensitive to ultra-violet radiation from the sun.
They have wounds almost all over their bodies due to poor shelter and medication.
More than 20 albinos have been killed in several parts of the country for purposes of getting rich.
SOURCE: Sunday Observer
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