Many may ask what
kind of luck harvesting albino anatomy could bring? “This luck is relative to
natural resources,” Mrs. Askew continued, “this marks the end of socialism and
the movement into a free market and capitalism in East Africa.”
This East African
phenomenon is termed “Albinicide” by U of M Grad student, Menan Jangu.
Albinicide is perpetuated by competition between local and international
businesses that race for natural resources.
[1]
Albinicide is “a symptom of structural,
socioeconomic and cultural forms that make people with albinism vulnerable to
physical violence” as defined by Jangu. Because local businesses, such as
fishermen and miners popular to the western side of East Africa, can’t compete
with the cutting edge technologies of international businesses in the recently
introduced free market, they seek albino anatomy to level the playing field.
Jangu explains,
myths perpetrated by “mgangas,” people who generally practice traditional
medicine, warrant the harvest of albino limbs, blood, and organs promising luck
and wealth obtained from the help of charms and potions. However, there is a
discourse surrounding albino killings which conflates witchcraft with
traditional healing.
The role of
mgangas, Mrs.Askew elaborates, in East African Culture is historically helpful,
supplementing the paucity of health care systems which often struggle to
provide to an overwhelming populace with herbal medicine.
However, “Utapeli,” con men or racketeers who claim to practice medicine
are often the perpetrators of these rumors which could explain the circulation of
such rumors and myths
To complicate matters; Gov’t aid is
limited in a variety of ways, making support difficult.
“There is an excessive influx of people from
rural to urban areas in search of better life opportunities. Oftentimes, a
typical African city's infrastructures and amenities, such as water supply,
electricity, hospitals, police services, fire services, residential homes,
jobs, etc. can hardly meet the rate of demand for their services” Victor
Okafor, head of Africology & African American Studies at Eastern Michigan said.
“For instance, a
water supply system built for a projected population of 250,000 may end up
being depended upon by a city that may have reached an explosive population
size of perhaps 500,000 or more” Okafor Continued.
Many East African
Laws limit aid to albinos further; “In order to convict a person practicing
witchcraft, an accused individual must be apprehended at the crime scene. This
rarely happens because witchcraft acts are undertaken in secrecy.” Furthermore,
“Witchcraft is not clearly defined in the Witchcraft Act and the Act does not
account for actions related to witchcraft” Jangu explained
In light of the problematic nature of
Albonicide on the basis of Government aid, independent groups have surfaced in
defense of the albino populations of East African Countries.
Groups and
charities such as “Under the Same Sun” act as havens for albinos. Groups like
Asante Marimau provide skin care products, clothes, and shelter for albinos who
more often than not are too poor to provide any of these life-saving amenities
for themselves.
The plea of the
East African Albino population is gaining international attention. Raising awareness
of the dire situation albinos face has become the goal of many international
organizations.
Projects such as
“Endagered White,” an exhibition by Yrneh Gabon Brown, have surfaced in order to
combat the social ignorance.
“More than 100 albinos have been violently
attacked in Tanzania from 2006 to June of this year — 71 died and 31 escaped,
though most were maimed,” reported John Burnett of NPR in 2012. However, it is
likely the percentage of attacks that are reported pale in comparison to the
number of actual attacks.
