This World s14e02 Episode Script
Born Too White
How was the body when you found it? My name is Oscar Duke and I'm albino.
In parts of East Africa, being born with my condition can be a death sentence.
People with albinism are regularly attacked, abducted and murdered.
Their body parts are used in potions, sold by witch doctors.
They just weakened the mouth by hitting him hard and all the teeths were out.
Did they specifically want the teeth? Yeah! It is something that is valuable, according to them.
In Britain, I work as a doctor and lead a normal life.
I can't imagine what it's like to live in such fear.
I wanted to find out why this is happening.
What do you think it says about the society in Tanzania that children like this are forced into isolation? The society has to understand that this is not a good thing.
So, this is the prison.
And what kind of person would murder someone like me? Do you think it's OK to kill somebody for money? So, why did you do it? February 23rd, 2017 Although they're pretty wonky, these are the same ones I've had since I was 13 and I've never once broken my glasses, which I think is amazing.
Although, actually, glasses have kind of come back round, they're a bit more cool these days.
Not these ones, though.
I was first diagnosed with albinism when I was six weeks old.
My parents aren't albino, but each carries the same faulty gene which they passed onto me.
It means I can't create a pigment called melanin.
As well as giving skin and hair its colour, melanin plays a vital role in the retina, so my eyes don't work normally.
Rather than just being still, if you focus on something, they kind of wobble.
Can you see that? I've always considered albinism a disability and spent most of my life trying to ignore it.
I even kept it a secret from my wife, Ray, when we first started dating.
Right, packing time.
If I just put everything out, kind of, as I've got it? Cos otherwise I'm going to have no idea what I've got.
I definitely had an issue about having albinism and I didn't want it to get in the way of our relationship, I think that was the real truth.
And I guess, for you, albinism had never got in the way of anything in your life before, so you did whatever you wanted at school, you went to university to be a doctor, you'd become a doctor at that point.
I do remember telling you - I remember exactly.
- There were definitely tears from me.
- Yeah, you cried! - Yeah, I did cry.
And, actually, then you telling me was a huge relief, cos I thought it was going to be something far worse.
- Yeah.
- I don't know, you had some horrible past or, I don't know, you'd been married to some other, or like, I don't know.
And didn't it work out well? - For now.
- Yes.
Two years in.
Now Ray and I are thinking about having children, I've spent a lot of time looking into my condition.
For me, I've accepted that I have albinism and I've learned to live my life with it and been able to do the things that I wanted to do.
And then I've heard that there are people in other parts of the world, particularly East Africa, where that is just not an option for them.
- Waterproof? - And the rain coat, because we are approaching the rainy season.
I'm heading to Tanzania which has among the highest rate of albinism in the world.
Albinos who live there have been stigmatised, persecuted and even killed.
People are being murdered because of something that's wrong with them in their genes.
It just doesn't seem right to me.
I want to find out why people like me are being targeted and what can be done to help one of the most marginalised communities in Africa.
Tanzania is home to around 16,000 people with albinism.
Almost half are children.
When the violence against them first hit the headlines ten years ago, it prompted the Tanzanian government to offer help.
My journey starts in Arusha, in the north of the country, at a school where the state sponsors kids with albinism.
I was the only albino at my school, but here, there are 16, including 12-year-old Dixon.
- Hi, Dixon.
- Hi, Oscar.
- How are you? - Fine.
So good to meet you.
So, are you guys in the same class? Yeah It's really white, isn't it? Why do you think that? I think because the skin is.
- Because my skin is white, too? - Yes.
Yeah.
- Melanin.
- Melanin? Yeah.
Amazing.
You guys know it all, don't you? - Yes.
- We don't have melanin, do we? No.
Does it matter? No.
No.
Do you think I'm the same as these guys? - No? - Why do you think I'm different? Because the melanin, the colour, is not the same with this one.
It looks the same to me.
- It's not the same.
- But in the body they are not the same.
- Why are they different? - Because when you pass the sun - It's the same? - Yes.
If I go in the sun I get really, really burnt.
The sun is really bad for my skin.
Just like these guys.
Exactly the same.
Yes, because of the eyes You see my eyes? Yeah.
Tell me about my eyes.
- It's different.
- It's different? Yes.
- No, not different.
- Yes, it's different.
Don't you see it is different? Bye-bye! Bye-bye.
Come on, let's go.
Having no melanin means that the back of our eyes cannot focus on long distances, so it's difficult to see things like the blackboard.
Today, I'm going with Dixon and the other children with albinism at his school to an eye clinic to see whether they can get any help.
Let's see.
Let's go over this way.
Are we good? Tanzania has no NHS, so these children must rely on NGOs for their eye care.
So, here we are.
Although the government has provided the venue.
What's your name? - Dixon.
- Dixon? - Dixon.
- Dixon.
- Dixon.
You've got to be loud, strong.
Have your card and then join the queue.
Shall we get in the queue? Thanks.
Sorry.
Are you all right? You OK? Cos it's hard to see, isn't it? I hate it because it's embarrassing when I do things like that.
- Do you feel embarrassed? - Yes.
My heart just completely went out to him, because I can completely relate to that feeling of embarrassment when you are trying to just be normal and then you do something and you fall over and you trip up.
You just feel really stupid, you just want the world to swallow you up and take you away.
And he did that, but we had a chat about it, which was really nice.
How are you doing? All right? Everyone here will have their eyes tested.
Can you try this one? But only some will qualify for the prescription glasses.
This one? Very good.
Where did you get to? Here goes, Dixon.
This vision programme will only reach about 1,000, or 12% of albino children.
Can you see me any better? So, Dixon is one of the lucky ones.
Saw yourself.
Awesome! (THEY SING) I've never seen so many albino people in one place.
There is such a sense of happiness, as well.
Nobody here is feeling sorry for themselves.
I can completely relate to that and I think, you know, good for them.
But even in the upbeat atmosphere of this clinic, some of the conversations hint at the darker side of albinism in Tanzania.
No.
No.
None.
I would say, yeah, equal.
In England there are much less people with albinism than there are in Tanzania.
It's believed that the smaller gene pool in parts of Tanzania is one reason for the high rates of albinism.
Being an albino in Britain, where lots of people are fair-skinned, means my condition mostly goes unnoticed.
But being so pale in a country where almost everyone is black, means you really stand out.
That difference has led to prejudice against albinos.
And fuelled superstitious beliefs that have existed for generations.
Have you ever heard anything bad about people with albinism? Why have they been excluded? Have you ever met anybody who says bad things about people with albinism? And what sort of things would they say? Is it something people talk openly about, or do you think people are scared to say these things even though they still believe them? Do people have names for people with albinism? As outrageous as it seems, the belief that minerals from an albino's body bring wealth has led people to kill or mutilate them for their body parts.
Since 2006, local charities have recorded 170 attacks, 70 of which were fatal.
To find out more about these brutal acts I've come to Mwanza city in the north of Tanzania.
This region is known as the Lake zone.
There have been more attacks against people with albinism here than anywhere else in Tanzania.
I mean, of course, people are hurt in wars, and in accidents, but you don't very often meet people who have been actually attacked just because of their genetic condition.
Especially not one that you have yourself.
Children are particularly vulnerable, and I'm on my way to meet 15-year-old Festo, who was attacked at the age of seven.
Hi.
Are you Festo? When you're in your classes, do you always sit at the front? - Yes.
- This is your desk? Yes.
So that you can see the board? Yes.
I used to do exactly the same in my classes.
Madame Molly is Festo's teacher and guardian.
The mother was in the kitchen preparing the evening meal, it was not late in the night.
It was around 7 PM in the evening.
And while the mother was preparing supper for the other children, a group of men came in.
He didn't tell me the exact number of the attackers, but there were more than four.
- That is what he's told me.
- Lots of people? - Yeah, lots of people.
He just saw people coming in with machetes, and before he could have a second look at them, they had had already cut one of his arms, the fingers, the teeth.
They must be so sharp and aggressive, to use a knife to chop off an arm is not This is now a panga, not a knife.
So the blunt part, that is not sharpened.
They just weakened the mouth by hitting him hard and all the teeth were out.
In fact he was cut, part of the lower part of the mouth.
And do they specifically want the teeth? Yeah! It is something that is valuable, according to them.
After the attack Festo spent four months in hospital.
What do people think about people with albinism in Tanzania? - They think they'll get money? - Yes.
- That's crazy.
- Yes.
And why do they think that? So the witch doctors tell the people - to go and attack people with albinism? - Yes.
Madame Molly has made sure that Festo can lead as normal a life as possible.
Surgeons attached one of his toes to his remaining hand so he could still use it.
(La Difference by Salif Keita playing) He does it.
It's his problem every day, so when he dropped his pencil, he knows how to get it, of course, he doesn't sit there and let everything fall apart around him.
He has his mechanism for holding the pencils, and wiping his brow, and That is how it is for him, he's just battling on regardless.
It's heartbreaking, really, to see what's happened.
But heart-warming to see where he's going, and how he is now.
Wow! Yeah.
That is amazing! There is clearly evil at work, which is so entrenched in beliefs that they think it's OK to do that.
But when you see him, you see the future.
Just by being how he is already, he's such a powerful advocate for coming through horror and getting out the other side.
And it doesn't matter whether that's albinism or anything, I mean, he's a kid, isn't he? And he's got, basically, no hands, no vision, really pale skin, and he lives in Africa.
And thank God he's at a very nice school, with very nice teachers and friends around him.
Congratulations.
That is great, Festo.
Tomorrow, you'll drink another soda.
- Yes.
- And biscuits.
You always get that from me for good work done.
The other guys were saying that Festo's the best at school art - in the whole school.
- In drawing? - Yeah.
- The best! - Really? - Thank you.
- Thank you.
- Yeah? - Yes.
It's hard to understand how anyone could cut the limbs off children like Festo.
But it seems that witch doctors are behind the attacks.
Paulina Alex runs a charity which supports albino families affected by violence.
She's taking me on a walk through town to explain how the trade in body parts works.
Our priority is people with albinism.
Actually, in Tanzania, there are so many things which are taking place, including the wrong belief that if you have a body part of persons with albinism, and you mix it with some medicine, you will become rich.
Right.
And who spreads those beliefs? Actually, witchcraft are the ones who are spreading this wrong belief.
- So, they're the witch doctors? - The witch doctors.
So, people are buying these potions then? - Yes.
- And how much would a potion cost? - It is a lot of money.
- Like? Starting from 20 million Tanzanian shillings and above.
How many dollars is that? Like, US 10,000 and above, so it's a lot of money.
So it's like, £6,000 or £7,000.
- Exactly.
- For a little bit of potion.
Sure.
The average wage in Tanzania is only £60 a month.
And it's a weird question to ask, but, like, a hand or a body part, how much would somebody get for that? According to what I have been hearing from other people, it depends on the body part you have.
If you have a leg, it means the price is higher.
- Because there's more? - Yeah, it's more.
If you have a hand, the price is a little bit cheap.
- Less? - Yes.
- It's crazy, isn't it? - Mad.
Don't you think? - Yeah, sure, sure.
And then who buys the potions? The businessmen are buying this.
The miners are the ones who are buying.
Fishers.
So, there are so many people.
And sometimes, they are mentioning some politicians.
Some politicians buy them as well? - Yeah.
- NGO research suggests that the rate of attacks against albinos increases just before an election.
It's alleged that even some politicians believe albino potions will help them gain power.
But even though the past decade has seen a sharp spike in the number of attacks being reported, Paulina believes the violence may have been going on for much longer.
And I remember when I was a child, my grandma used to tell me that people with albinism, they don't die.
They normally disappear.
- Really? - So when I recall back, it means that the killing of people with albinism started a long time ago.
How can you say that someone is disappearing? I see what you mean.
Instead of dying.
So, yeah, maybe they were even being killed then.
- Yeah.
- So it's a very, kind of, ancient tradition.
Yeah, sure.
It's estimated that 60% of Tanzanians believe in witchcraft.
The use of so-called traditional healers has been part of the culture for generations.
As a doctor, it's hard to understand how these beliefs could still play such a powerful role in society, especially when they lead to murder.
But a prominent local healer has agreed to explain more.
If I can find him.
It definitely feels like the traditional healer is kind of hidden away round the back of the village.
It's right, kind of, in the woods, isn't it? I guess there's lots of herbs around.
We haven't seen anybody with albinism anywhere nearby.
Which is probably for the best, isn't it? It's me! - (HE SPEAKS SWAHILI) - Hello.
(HE SPEAKS SWAHILI) Oscar.
And how do you know all about the different herbs? How do you learn that? But how did you learn? Did you learn it in school? How do you know the science? So if I became a traditional healer I could have saved a lot of time at university.
And so what is this herb? What does it help with? What's it for? Asante.
(HEALER LAUGHS) So, you are a traditional healer, is that different to a witch doctor? After the attacks started coming to light, the Tanzanian government decided to regulate traditional healers.
In order to practise legally, you now need to be licensed, and Mr.
Bujukano is working with the police in an attempt to root out the violent witchdoctors.
Before I leave, I wonder whether there's anything he can do for me.
Thank you, thank you.
That's lovely.
(HEALER LAUGHS) It's, for me, not something I would be paying any money for.
For bringing a gift, as he likes to call it.
But it is part of their culture, and he's obviously a prominent, relatively wealthy member of that village society, so he is listened to.
And you can see how if somebody like him went off the rails and decided that they wanted to use people with albinism in their potions, that, probably, people in the community would go with it.
Especially if there was a big financial reward behind it.
So, they have a lot of power, I would say.
As well as cracking down on witchdoctors, the Tanzanian government has tried to safeguard children with albinism by offering those in high-risk areas somewhere else to live.
Many have been placed by their families in secure residential centres called protectorates.
We are following a member of the Tanzanian Albinism Society, and as you can see, we can't see really, it's just a dirt track, lots of dust coming off the Jeep in front.
Hello.
Charles and Kulwa had to flee their home four years ago, and put their two children into one of the centres.
Since then, they've had three more.
Asante I was too slow.
And these are your children as well? - What's your name? - Peter.
Peter.
Nice to meet you, Peter.
Can I have a hug? How are you? You're adorable, aren't you? Aw.
Cool.
- And who's this? - Salma.
- Salma? - Salma.
- And how old's Salma? As both Charles and his wife are albino, any children they have will always have albinism.
So, two of your children are in the protectorate centre.
How safe is it for you all living in the village here? So you had to leave the village that you've lived in for how many years? Wow, so you lived there for your whole life, until four years ago? And would you ever want to bring your other two children back home? Has Mummy been to see her other children in Buhangija recently? If Charles wants to see his children, it's two hours each way on public transport.
He can only travel when he can afford it.
The tiny wage he earns from fetching water means the £2 bus fair is usually out of his reach.
The last time Charles saw his children was four months ago.
Here we are.
There are nine protectorate centres like this across Tanzania.
Since 2006, more than 500 children aged from three to 18 have been hidden away behind high walls and barbed wire.
Nobody can go inside without permission from the government and it's guarded 24 hours a day.
Shoma.
Hi, Shoma.
How old are you, Shoma? TRANSLATOR: I'm ten years old.
And who's this, Shoma? Is this your teacher? - Yeah.
- And how many of the children with albinism who live here are able - to go home? - Most of them remain here.
- Why is that? - Because they are being afraid.
Very minority parents come to visit their children.
So, Charles is unusual in that respect, then? Yeah.
- He's good.
- That is great.
So, this is your son, Charles? Yeah.
So, he's been here since the age of four.
Not four, three years.
- Since the age of three? - Yeah.
OK.
And how do Charles' children cope when they see him and then he goes? They feel it's so unfair.
They don't like it? Everyone wants to stay with their parents, yeah? - Yeah, of course.
- Yes.
Could you imagine ever leaving your children like these parents have? I can't leave my children.
To understand what life is like for the children here, I need to speak to the headmaster.
Hello.
My name is Saliman Shabani Kapanya.
Yeah, I'm a school headmaster in the centre as well.
So, you're in charge of the Buhangija protectorate centre? Yeah, Buhangija as well.
It was special for the blind people.
It was always used for blind people? Yes, before the killings of the albinos started.
Yeah, there was no fence, it was just open.
So, that's all been added in since the attacks happened? Yeah.
Yeah.
The problem we have is that the space is not enough.
Is the government helping you to increase that space? Yes, they are trying to do that.
Do you ever do any trips to go out, to take them out of the centre? Not more than Sometimes we have people who are helping us, they take them to several areas, but most of them, most of the time, - they stay here.
- Stay here? Yeah.
This is the dormitory.
As you see.
What do you think are the psychological problems - of living here for the children? - You see, living here, from the morning you are here doing nothing, especially for those who are not studying, you see.
They wake up in the morning, they stay here, you see, they are not allowed to go outside, you see.
No places for sports or games.
They are there.
So that's not good.
What do you think it says about the society in Tanzania that children like this are forced into isolation? I think the society has to understand that this is not a good thing.
That's the first thing.
This is not a good thing, to isolate, to segregate some people because of their skin colour.
You see, that's not good.
Do you think there's any progress towards that? Yes.
For almost a year now we have not received any new entrants.
- Really? - Yes.
For almost a year now.
Yeah, no new entrants.
Do you think there will be a day when protectorate camps like Buhangija are closed down? Yes.
I'm hoping so.
We used to receive them every day, but now - It's settling down.
- Yes.
That's really good to hear.
Thank you so much for talking to me.
It makes you think about having albinism and bringing that forward and having children, and one of the things I've been really worried about is having a child with albinism and not wanting that.
I still feel that I wouldn't choose to have a child with albinism, but when you meet people like this, you can't help but feel, in terms of what I would be able to offer to a child who had albinism in my life, they could have a fantastic life.
And that is so distant to what would happen if you had a child with albinism in Tanzania.
It's awful to see small children separated from their families and kept locked behind high walls to stop them from being murdered.
I want to know what the police are doing to catch the killers and punish those involved in the trade.
I haven't really met anybody who is in charge or responsible for the crimes that are happening to people with albinism.
It makes me feel really angry.
Everybody should have a right to have a just, fair life, whether you're black, white or anything in between.
After some last-minute negotiation, the acting commander of the police service in Mwanza has agreed to meet me.
I'm hoping he'll be able to give me some answers.
My name is Agusta Sanga.
Very good to meet you, Mr Sanga.
For the time being, I am acting as the regional police commander.
- Excellent.
- The commander is on vacation.
So you're in charge? - Yes.
- Excellent.
- Very good to meet you, thank you.
- Thank you very much, welcome.
Please.
Yes.
You're welcome.
What are the challenges for you as police commander in fighting these - sorts of crimes? - These particular crimes are done secretly, completely secretly.
Sometimes we find the members of the family, so you investigate a case of which the members of the victim are involved, it becomes very, very difficult.
So, the family members are conspirators in the case? Yes.
Of course, the locations of our area, this region is huge, sometimes to reach every area where these people are, is a problem.
Sometimes they're hiding them in their areas locally, so it's difficult for us to identify those areas and find someone that's been killed.
We see this as a crime, serious crime.
I had one case of 2008, a person has been sentenced to death, he is waiting his punishment.
In Tanzania you still have the death penalty, is that right? - Yes.
That's right.
- That would be for murder, would that? - The person has been sentenced to death? - Yes, murder.
Since 2013 we have never had How many witchdoctors have you prosecuted? Four or five.
I can't tell the exact number.
Do you know roughly? I remember two or three, because I was here for the last year, two or three in Mwanza.
Has anybody in the whole of Tanzania ever been arrested for buying the potion itself? I am not very sure, to speak of Sure.
In Mwanza? In Mwanza, I have never experienced that since I came here.
There is somebody at the top who's able to afford to buy these potions for thousands of dollars, people have told me.
What should I say? It's, in most cases, in most cases those who are buying those ones this is very, very difficult, as I said.
It's something done in a very secret way.
So it sounds like you had a very big problem and the attacks have now reduced, so things are getting better, but you still think it's an ongoing problem.
There are still signs of people having this local belief, but education has helped us much.
So, we are still working on it, to make sure, to eliminate it completely.
Thank you.
It gave me a lot more faith actually that stuff is being done.
It was slightly difficult to push him on the higher parts of society, and, obviously, there is something high up which is fuelling this trade in albino body parts, but then he didn't say it didn't happen, he just said he had no evidence for that.
The Tanzanian government has taken steps to try and tackle the violence against people with albinism and although there's more to be done, there hasn't been a murder reported for over a year.
There's definitely a concerted effort to try and improve things for people with albinism.
They still feel to me like a very repressed part of society.
I don't think you'd get many people with albinism saying they feel completely safe in Tanzania.
The crackdown in Tanzania seems to have driven the problem over the border to Malawi.
In the past two years, there have been 65 attacks on people with albinism, 47 attempted abductions and a spate of brutal murders which have claimed 13 lives.
I've come to Malawi to try and speak to someone involved in this recent wave of killings.
My guide here is Overstone, president of the Malawian Albino Association.
- Hello.
- Hello, welcome.
I'm Oscar.
- I'm Overstone Kondowe.
- Overstone.
Very good to meet you.
Do you know why there was suddenly this spate of attacks? There are some kind of thoughts, maybe from our neighbouring countries, they have made their laws very strict for the witchdoctors, then they have escaped from Tanzania, they are in Malawi, they are doing the trade.
- They've been pushed out of other countries? - Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's what we thought.
Then the problem's reared its head here.
Emigrated to our country.
Overstone is taking me to a remote village in a rural region called Ntcheu, two hours outside the capital.
I've come to meet the family of Fletcher Masina, an albino man who was murdered six months ago.
But first, Mr.
Zebra, the local English teacher, wants to show me evidence that Fletcher's murder was just one in a series of attacks against albinos in the village.
- This is a graveyard? - Yeah.
Gosh.
This belongs to a person who had albinism? Yeah, that's it.
Right.
Yeah.
Stealing someone who's already gone.
It's exactly true.
The targeting of people with albinism has shocked the whole community.
While I was looking at the open grave, everybody's come out to see what's going on.
What are they saying to you, Overstone? They are saying that they aren't happy with the killing of persons with albinism in the area, especially the killing of Fletcher Masina is a very big concern to them.
Chikumbutso is Fletcher Masina's brother.
You must find it very hard to come here.
I'm sure.
And what would Fletcher have been doing here? It's certainly a really, really beautiful spot, but it's a long way from anything, isn't it? We've walked a long way, it's very isolated.
And how would people have known he was here, because it seems like an unusual place to find somebody? And who was it who discovered Fletcher when he was killed here? 150 metres.
You said that there was some blood here and you found the body over there, how was the body when you found it? Gosh.
It's really I think it's hard to put into words.
It's kind of like, you meet the community and the family and they're basically just living a nightmare.
He was just sorting out his tomatoes and was killed in a brutal, brutal way.
Because he had albinism.
You know, if someone tells you don't step on the lines in the pavement because of bad luck or if you break your mirror it's seven years bad luck, those sorts of superstitions beliefs, you sort of have a little bit of your mind which maybe thinks, maybe that is true, maybe I shouldn't step on the cracks in the pavement.
But you'd never believe in something like that enough to allow it let you kill somebody.
But obviously I don't have any superstitious beliefs which are as strong as the people here.
While superstition plays a big part in these murders, there's got to be more to it than just blind faith.
Back in Lilongwe, the chief advisor to the president has allowed me entry to the notorious Maula prison.
I'm going to meet one of the people being held on remand for the murder of Fletcher Masina.
I'm finally able to go face-to-face with someone who can tell me why he murdered an albino.
So, this is the prison? Yes.
It doesn't look much like a prison, but this is the administrative quarters.
We're meeting in the deputy chief of the prison's office, because they're not keen for us to see conditions inside the prison, so we can't go into the cells or anything like that.
Hello.
- My name is Oscar.
- Thank you, sir.
My name's Herbert.
I guess the first question has to be, why did you murder somebody with albinism? And did they promise you anything? And how many people were with you? And they promised each of you 40 million kwacha? Do you mind telling me about what happened on the day of the murder? And then? I met with Fletcher's brother in the garden where the murder happened and he explained to me that Fletcher had had different bits of his body cut off.
Did you see that? Why? Do you think it's OK to kill somebody for money? So why did you do it? Do you believe in witchcraft? Can I ask 40 million kwacha, that's a lot of money.
How much money as a farmer would you have made in one year? So what sort of person would have 40 million kwacha? Did you receive any money at all for what you did? Do you know how long you're likely to be in prison for? Really Really shocking, actually.
And what happened It's not just a murder, it's like a mutilation.
There were hammers and sticks.
You can blame Satan all you want, but, yeah, maybe it is kind of work of the devil, isn't it, whatever your religious beliefs are, but You know, it's not like they were possessed and made to do it.
They did it because they thought they could get money and I find that disgusting.
Money seems to be the driving force behind this horrific trade in human body parts.
I think it shows that life is very cheap.
The value on life is much less and I guess some of that comes from a culture where people die at home around people, life expectancy is shorter, there is less provision to deal with disease and public health is at a lower level than we'd see in Western Europe.
And it's really sad that people are prepared to kill and it's just a bit more easy come, easy go, I think.
The attacks on people with albinism have brought international attention and a proactive government response.
Now the albino population is being helped in other ways.
Standing Voice, a UK charity, provides skin clinics like this one across Tanzania.
So before I say goodbye to East Africa, I'm finally able to put my doctor's hat on again.
People with albinism have no natural protection from the sun, so skin cancer is rife and only 2% currently live beyond the age of 40.
Do you have any pain in your skin? It's painful? Here the dermatologists offer free consultations and use cryotherapy to freeze off any suspicious growths.
He's had some cryotherapy.
It's going to be a little bit It was really lovely to see that family with their cute little daughter who has albinism.
Her skin was immaculate.
She's living in Africa the whole time and they've been able to access the skin clinics and have been given a sunscreen.
She doesn't expose her skin to the sunlight.
So when you examine her feet The mum puts it on twice a day, every single day.
That is a big commitment for any parent to have to do.
Great shoes.
Ticklish? Yeah.
Well done, Mum.
Asante! Keep up the good work! After some of the horror I've witnessed here, places like this give me a tiny glimpse of the change that might be possible.
It's so lovely to see the little ones because they are so innocent.
They're not affected by any stigmatisation and if there is stigmatisation, they just don't understand it at that stage.
So they, I guess, represent a massive hope for the future and hopefully by the time those little children are adults, East Africa would've adapted to enable them to go hand-in-hand and be equivalent citizens to anybody else in the country, whether they have black skin or white skin.
And I'm heading back to England with a different outlook.
I definitely feel very proud of the people with albinism in Africa.
I'm not in their camp, very, very luckily for me, but I feel that they are very brave and amazing, really, how well they survive, given the pressures that are on them.
And I think that probably helps me to feel a little bit prouder about having albinism myself.
I don't have anything to fear on a daily basis, unless someone doesn't like this film! And I think just the process of talking about it so much has been helpful to me, so maybe that's a bit selfish, but I think perhaps by trying to help some of the people here in Africa, I've helped myself a little bit, too.
Just to feel a little bit more confident to stand up and say, "Yes, and so what?"
In parts of East Africa, being born with my condition can be a death sentence.
People with albinism are regularly attacked, abducted and murdered.
Their body parts are used in potions, sold by witch doctors.
They just weakened the mouth by hitting him hard and all the teeths were out.
Did they specifically want the teeth? Yeah! It is something that is valuable, according to them.
In Britain, I work as a doctor and lead a normal life.
I can't imagine what it's like to live in such fear.
I wanted to find out why this is happening.
What do you think it says about the society in Tanzania that children like this are forced into isolation? The society has to understand that this is not a good thing.
So, this is the prison.
And what kind of person would murder someone like me? Do you think it's OK to kill somebody for money? So, why did you do it? February 23rd, 2017 Although they're pretty wonky, these are the same ones I've had since I was 13 and I've never once broken my glasses, which I think is amazing.
Although, actually, glasses have kind of come back round, they're a bit more cool these days.
Not these ones, though.
I was first diagnosed with albinism when I was six weeks old.
My parents aren't albino, but each carries the same faulty gene which they passed onto me.
It means I can't create a pigment called melanin.
As well as giving skin and hair its colour, melanin plays a vital role in the retina, so my eyes don't work normally.
Rather than just being still, if you focus on something, they kind of wobble.
Can you see that? I've always considered albinism a disability and spent most of my life trying to ignore it.
I even kept it a secret from my wife, Ray, when we first started dating.
Right, packing time.
If I just put everything out, kind of, as I've got it? Cos otherwise I'm going to have no idea what I've got.
I definitely had an issue about having albinism and I didn't want it to get in the way of our relationship, I think that was the real truth.
And I guess, for you, albinism had never got in the way of anything in your life before, so you did whatever you wanted at school, you went to university to be a doctor, you'd become a doctor at that point.
I do remember telling you - I remember exactly.
- There were definitely tears from me.
- Yeah, you cried! - Yeah, I did cry.
And, actually, then you telling me was a huge relief, cos I thought it was going to be something far worse.
- Yeah.
- I don't know, you had some horrible past or, I don't know, you'd been married to some other, or like, I don't know.
And didn't it work out well? - For now.
- Yes.
Two years in.
Now Ray and I are thinking about having children, I've spent a lot of time looking into my condition.
For me, I've accepted that I have albinism and I've learned to live my life with it and been able to do the things that I wanted to do.
And then I've heard that there are people in other parts of the world, particularly East Africa, where that is just not an option for them.
- Waterproof? - And the rain coat, because we are approaching the rainy season.
I'm heading to Tanzania which has among the highest rate of albinism in the world.
Albinos who live there have been stigmatised, persecuted and even killed.
People are being murdered because of something that's wrong with them in their genes.
It just doesn't seem right to me.
I want to find out why people like me are being targeted and what can be done to help one of the most marginalised communities in Africa.
Tanzania is home to around 16,000 people with albinism.
Almost half are children.
When the violence against them first hit the headlines ten years ago, it prompted the Tanzanian government to offer help.
My journey starts in Arusha, in the north of the country, at a school where the state sponsors kids with albinism.
I was the only albino at my school, but here, there are 16, including 12-year-old Dixon.
- Hi, Dixon.
- Hi, Oscar.
- How are you? - Fine.
So good to meet you.
So, are you guys in the same class? Yeah It's really white, isn't it? Why do you think that? I think because the skin is.
- Because my skin is white, too? - Yes.
Yeah.
- Melanin.
- Melanin? Yeah.
Amazing.
You guys know it all, don't you? - Yes.
- We don't have melanin, do we? No.
Does it matter? No.
No.
Do you think I'm the same as these guys? - No? - Why do you think I'm different? Because the melanin, the colour, is not the same with this one.
It looks the same to me.
- It's not the same.
- But in the body they are not the same.
- Why are they different? - Because when you pass the sun - It's the same? - Yes.
If I go in the sun I get really, really burnt.
The sun is really bad for my skin.
Just like these guys.
Exactly the same.
Yes, because of the eyes You see my eyes? Yeah.
Tell me about my eyes.
- It's different.
- It's different? Yes.
- No, not different.
- Yes, it's different.
Don't you see it is different? Bye-bye! Bye-bye.
Come on, let's go.
Having no melanin means that the back of our eyes cannot focus on long distances, so it's difficult to see things like the blackboard.
Today, I'm going with Dixon and the other children with albinism at his school to an eye clinic to see whether they can get any help.
Let's see.
Let's go over this way.
Are we good? Tanzania has no NHS, so these children must rely on NGOs for their eye care.
So, here we are.
Although the government has provided the venue.
What's your name? - Dixon.
- Dixon? - Dixon.
- Dixon.
- Dixon.
You've got to be loud, strong.
Have your card and then join the queue.
Shall we get in the queue? Thanks.
Sorry.
Are you all right? You OK? Cos it's hard to see, isn't it? I hate it because it's embarrassing when I do things like that.
- Do you feel embarrassed? - Yes.
My heart just completely went out to him, because I can completely relate to that feeling of embarrassment when you are trying to just be normal and then you do something and you fall over and you trip up.
You just feel really stupid, you just want the world to swallow you up and take you away.
And he did that, but we had a chat about it, which was really nice.
How are you doing? All right? Everyone here will have their eyes tested.
Can you try this one? But only some will qualify for the prescription glasses.
This one? Very good.
Where did you get to? Here goes, Dixon.
This vision programme will only reach about 1,000, or 12% of albino children.
Can you see me any better? So, Dixon is one of the lucky ones.
Saw yourself.
Awesome! (THEY SING) I've never seen so many albino people in one place.
There is such a sense of happiness, as well.
Nobody here is feeling sorry for themselves.
I can completely relate to that and I think, you know, good for them.
But even in the upbeat atmosphere of this clinic, some of the conversations hint at the darker side of albinism in Tanzania.
No.
No.
None.
I would say, yeah, equal.
In England there are much less people with albinism than there are in Tanzania.
It's believed that the smaller gene pool in parts of Tanzania is one reason for the high rates of albinism.
Being an albino in Britain, where lots of people are fair-skinned, means my condition mostly goes unnoticed.
But being so pale in a country where almost everyone is black, means you really stand out.
That difference has led to prejudice against albinos.
And fuelled superstitious beliefs that have existed for generations.
Have you ever heard anything bad about people with albinism? Why have they been excluded? Have you ever met anybody who says bad things about people with albinism? And what sort of things would they say? Is it something people talk openly about, or do you think people are scared to say these things even though they still believe them? Do people have names for people with albinism? As outrageous as it seems, the belief that minerals from an albino's body bring wealth has led people to kill or mutilate them for their body parts.
Since 2006, local charities have recorded 170 attacks, 70 of which were fatal.
To find out more about these brutal acts I've come to Mwanza city in the north of Tanzania.
This region is known as the Lake zone.
There have been more attacks against people with albinism here than anywhere else in Tanzania.
I mean, of course, people are hurt in wars, and in accidents, but you don't very often meet people who have been actually attacked just because of their genetic condition.
Especially not one that you have yourself.
Children are particularly vulnerable, and I'm on my way to meet 15-year-old Festo, who was attacked at the age of seven.
Hi.
Are you Festo? When you're in your classes, do you always sit at the front? - Yes.
- This is your desk? Yes.
So that you can see the board? Yes.
I used to do exactly the same in my classes.
Madame Molly is Festo's teacher and guardian.
The mother was in the kitchen preparing the evening meal, it was not late in the night.
It was around 7 PM in the evening.
And while the mother was preparing supper for the other children, a group of men came in.
He didn't tell me the exact number of the attackers, but there were more than four.
- That is what he's told me.
- Lots of people? - Yeah, lots of people.
He just saw people coming in with machetes, and before he could have a second look at them, they had had already cut one of his arms, the fingers, the teeth.
They must be so sharp and aggressive, to use a knife to chop off an arm is not This is now a panga, not a knife.
So the blunt part, that is not sharpened.
They just weakened the mouth by hitting him hard and all the teeth were out.
In fact he was cut, part of the lower part of the mouth.
And do they specifically want the teeth? Yeah! It is something that is valuable, according to them.
After the attack Festo spent four months in hospital.
What do people think about people with albinism in Tanzania? - They think they'll get money? - Yes.
- That's crazy.
- Yes.
And why do they think that? So the witch doctors tell the people - to go and attack people with albinism? - Yes.
Madame Molly has made sure that Festo can lead as normal a life as possible.
Surgeons attached one of his toes to his remaining hand so he could still use it.
(La Difference by Salif Keita playing) He does it.
It's his problem every day, so when he dropped his pencil, he knows how to get it, of course, he doesn't sit there and let everything fall apart around him.
He has his mechanism for holding the pencils, and wiping his brow, and That is how it is for him, he's just battling on regardless.
It's heartbreaking, really, to see what's happened.
But heart-warming to see where he's going, and how he is now.
Wow! Yeah.
That is amazing! There is clearly evil at work, which is so entrenched in beliefs that they think it's OK to do that.
But when you see him, you see the future.
Just by being how he is already, he's such a powerful advocate for coming through horror and getting out the other side.
And it doesn't matter whether that's albinism or anything, I mean, he's a kid, isn't he? And he's got, basically, no hands, no vision, really pale skin, and he lives in Africa.
And thank God he's at a very nice school, with very nice teachers and friends around him.
Congratulations.
That is great, Festo.
Tomorrow, you'll drink another soda.
- Yes.
- And biscuits.
You always get that from me for good work done.
The other guys were saying that Festo's the best at school art - in the whole school.
- In drawing? - Yeah.
- The best! - Really? - Thank you.
- Thank you.
- Yeah? - Yes.
It's hard to understand how anyone could cut the limbs off children like Festo.
But it seems that witch doctors are behind the attacks.
Paulina Alex runs a charity which supports albino families affected by violence.
She's taking me on a walk through town to explain how the trade in body parts works.
Our priority is people with albinism.
Actually, in Tanzania, there are so many things which are taking place, including the wrong belief that if you have a body part of persons with albinism, and you mix it with some medicine, you will become rich.
Right.
And who spreads those beliefs? Actually, witchcraft are the ones who are spreading this wrong belief.
- So, they're the witch doctors? - The witch doctors.
So, people are buying these potions then? - Yes.
- And how much would a potion cost? - It is a lot of money.
- Like? Starting from 20 million Tanzanian shillings and above.
How many dollars is that? Like, US 10,000 and above, so it's a lot of money.
So it's like, £6,000 or £7,000.
- Exactly.
- For a little bit of potion.
Sure.
The average wage in Tanzania is only £60 a month.
And it's a weird question to ask, but, like, a hand or a body part, how much would somebody get for that? According to what I have been hearing from other people, it depends on the body part you have.
If you have a leg, it means the price is higher.
- Because there's more? - Yeah, it's more.
If you have a hand, the price is a little bit cheap.
- Less? - Yes.
- It's crazy, isn't it? - Mad.
Don't you think? - Yeah, sure, sure.
And then who buys the potions? The businessmen are buying this.
The miners are the ones who are buying.
Fishers.
So, there are so many people.
And sometimes, they are mentioning some politicians.
Some politicians buy them as well? - Yeah.
- NGO research suggests that the rate of attacks against albinos increases just before an election.
It's alleged that even some politicians believe albino potions will help them gain power.
But even though the past decade has seen a sharp spike in the number of attacks being reported, Paulina believes the violence may have been going on for much longer.
And I remember when I was a child, my grandma used to tell me that people with albinism, they don't die.
They normally disappear.
- Really? - So when I recall back, it means that the killing of people with albinism started a long time ago.
How can you say that someone is disappearing? I see what you mean.
Instead of dying.
So, yeah, maybe they were even being killed then.
- Yeah.
- So it's a very, kind of, ancient tradition.
Yeah, sure.
It's estimated that 60% of Tanzanians believe in witchcraft.
The use of so-called traditional healers has been part of the culture for generations.
As a doctor, it's hard to understand how these beliefs could still play such a powerful role in society, especially when they lead to murder.
But a prominent local healer has agreed to explain more.
If I can find him.
It definitely feels like the traditional healer is kind of hidden away round the back of the village.
It's right, kind of, in the woods, isn't it? I guess there's lots of herbs around.
We haven't seen anybody with albinism anywhere nearby.
Which is probably for the best, isn't it? It's me! - (HE SPEAKS SWAHILI) - Hello.
(HE SPEAKS SWAHILI) Oscar.
And how do you know all about the different herbs? How do you learn that? But how did you learn? Did you learn it in school? How do you know the science? So if I became a traditional healer I could have saved a lot of time at university.
And so what is this herb? What does it help with? What's it for? Asante.
(HEALER LAUGHS) So, you are a traditional healer, is that different to a witch doctor? After the attacks started coming to light, the Tanzanian government decided to regulate traditional healers.
In order to practise legally, you now need to be licensed, and Mr.
Bujukano is working with the police in an attempt to root out the violent witchdoctors.
Before I leave, I wonder whether there's anything he can do for me.
Thank you, thank you.
That's lovely.
(HEALER LAUGHS) It's, for me, not something I would be paying any money for.
For bringing a gift, as he likes to call it.
But it is part of their culture, and he's obviously a prominent, relatively wealthy member of that village society, so he is listened to.
And you can see how if somebody like him went off the rails and decided that they wanted to use people with albinism in their potions, that, probably, people in the community would go with it.
Especially if there was a big financial reward behind it.
So, they have a lot of power, I would say.
As well as cracking down on witchdoctors, the Tanzanian government has tried to safeguard children with albinism by offering those in high-risk areas somewhere else to live.
Many have been placed by their families in secure residential centres called protectorates.
We are following a member of the Tanzanian Albinism Society, and as you can see, we can't see really, it's just a dirt track, lots of dust coming off the Jeep in front.
Hello.
Charles and Kulwa had to flee their home four years ago, and put their two children into one of the centres.
Since then, they've had three more.
Asante I was too slow.
And these are your children as well? - What's your name? - Peter.
Peter.
Nice to meet you, Peter.
Can I have a hug? How are you? You're adorable, aren't you? Aw.
Cool.
- And who's this? - Salma.
- Salma? - Salma.
- And how old's Salma? As both Charles and his wife are albino, any children they have will always have albinism.
So, two of your children are in the protectorate centre.
How safe is it for you all living in the village here? So you had to leave the village that you've lived in for how many years? Wow, so you lived there for your whole life, until four years ago? And would you ever want to bring your other two children back home? Has Mummy been to see her other children in Buhangija recently? If Charles wants to see his children, it's two hours each way on public transport.
He can only travel when he can afford it.
The tiny wage he earns from fetching water means the £2 bus fair is usually out of his reach.
The last time Charles saw his children was four months ago.
Here we are.
There are nine protectorate centres like this across Tanzania.
Since 2006, more than 500 children aged from three to 18 have been hidden away behind high walls and barbed wire.
Nobody can go inside without permission from the government and it's guarded 24 hours a day.
Shoma.
Hi, Shoma.
How old are you, Shoma? TRANSLATOR: I'm ten years old.
And who's this, Shoma? Is this your teacher? - Yeah.
- And how many of the children with albinism who live here are able - to go home? - Most of them remain here.
- Why is that? - Because they are being afraid.
Very minority parents come to visit their children.
So, Charles is unusual in that respect, then? Yeah.
- He's good.
- That is great.
So, this is your son, Charles? Yeah.
So, he's been here since the age of four.
Not four, three years.
- Since the age of three? - Yeah.
OK.
And how do Charles' children cope when they see him and then he goes? They feel it's so unfair.
They don't like it? Everyone wants to stay with their parents, yeah? - Yeah, of course.
- Yes.
Could you imagine ever leaving your children like these parents have? I can't leave my children.
To understand what life is like for the children here, I need to speak to the headmaster.
Hello.
My name is Saliman Shabani Kapanya.
Yeah, I'm a school headmaster in the centre as well.
So, you're in charge of the Buhangija protectorate centre? Yeah, Buhangija as well.
It was special for the blind people.
It was always used for blind people? Yes, before the killings of the albinos started.
Yeah, there was no fence, it was just open.
So, that's all been added in since the attacks happened? Yeah.
Yeah.
The problem we have is that the space is not enough.
Is the government helping you to increase that space? Yes, they are trying to do that.
Do you ever do any trips to go out, to take them out of the centre? Not more than Sometimes we have people who are helping us, they take them to several areas, but most of them, most of the time, - they stay here.
- Stay here? Yeah.
This is the dormitory.
As you see.
What do you think are the psychological problems - of living here for the children? - You see, living here, from the morning you are here doing nothing, especially for those who are not studying, you see.
They wake up in the morning, they stay here, you see, they are not allowed to go outside, you see.
No places for sports or games.
They are there.
So that's not good.
What do you think it says about the society in Tanzania that children like this are forced into isolation? I think the society has to understand that this is not a good thing.
That's the first thing.
This is not a good thing, to isolate, to segregate some people because of their skin colour.
You see, that's not good.
Do you think there's any progress towards that? Yes.
For almost a year now we have not received any new entrants.
- Really? - Yes.
For almost a year now.
Yeah, no new entrants.
Do you think there will be a day when protectorate camps like Buhangija are closed down? Yes.
I'm hoping so.
We used to receive them every day, but now - It's settling down.
- Yes.
That's really good to hear.
Thank you so much for talking to me.
It makes you think about having albinism and bringing that forward and having children, and one of the things I've been really worried about is having a child with albinism and not wanting that.
I still feel that I wouldn't choose to have a child with albinism, but when you meet people like this, you can't help but feel, in terms of what I would be able to offer to a child who had albinism in my life, they could have a fantastic life.
And that is so distant to what would happen if you had a child with albinism in Tanzania.
It's awful to see small children separated from their families and kept locked behind high walls to stop them from being murdered.
I want to know what the police are doing to catch the killers and punish those involved in the trade.
I haven't really met anybody who is in charge or responsible for the crimes that are happening to people with albinism.
It makes me feel really angry.
Everybody should have a right to have a just, fair life, whether you're black, white or anything in between.
After some last-minute negotiation, the acting commander of the police service in Mwanza has agreed to meet me.
I'm hoping he'll be able to give me some answers.
My name is Agusta Sanga.
Very good to meet you, Mr Sanga.
For the time being, I am acting as the regional police commander.
- Excellent.
- The commander is on vacation.
So you're in charge? - Yes.
- Excellent.
- Very good to meet you, thank you.
- Thank you very much, welcome.
Please.
Yes.
You're welcome.
What are the challenges for you as police commander in fighting these - sorts of crimes? - These particular crimes are done secretly, completely secretly.
Sometimes we find the members of the family, so you investigate a case of which the members of the victim are involved, it becomes very, very difficult.
So, the family members are conspirators in the case? Yes.
Of course, the locations of our area, this region is huge, sometimes to reach every area where these people are, is a problem.
Sometimes they're hiding them in their areas locally, so it's difficult for us to identify those areas and find someone that's been killed.
We see this as a crime, serious crime.
I had one case of 2008, a person has been sentenced to death, he is waiting his punishment.
In Tanzania you still have the death penalty, is that right? - Yes.
That's right.
- That would be for murder, would that? - The person has been sentenced to death? - Yes, murder.
Since 2013 we have never had How many witchdoctors have you prosecuted? Four or five.
I can't tell the exact number.
Do you know roughly? I remember two or three, because I was here for the last year, two or three in Mwanza.
Has anybody in the whole of Tanzania ever been arrested for buying the potion itself? I am not very sure, to speak of Sure.
In Mwanza? In Mwanza, I have never experienced that since I came here.
There is somebody at the top who's able to afford to buy these potions for thousands of dollars, people have told me.
What should I say? It's, in most cases, in most cases those who are buying those ones this is very, very difficult, as I said.
It's something done in a very secret way.
So it sounds like you had a very big problem and the attacks have now reduced, so things are getting better, but you still think it's an ongoing problem.
There are still signs of people having this local belief, but education has helped us much.
So, we are still working on it, to make sure, to eliminate it completely.
Thank you.
It gave me a lot more faith actually that stuff is being done.
It was slightly difficult to push him on the higher parts of society, and, obviously, there is something high up which is fuelling this trade in albino body parts, but then he didn't say it didn't happen, he just said he had no evidence for that.
The Tanzanian government has taken steps to try and tackle the violence against people with albinism and although there's more to be done, there hasn't been a murder reported for over a year.
There's definitely a concerted effort to try and improve things for people with albinism.
They still feel to me like a very repressed part of society.
I don't think you'd get many people with albinism saying they feel completely safe in Tanzania.
The crackdown in Tanzania seems to have driven the problem over the border to Malawi.
In the past two years, there have been 65 attacks on people with albinism, 47 attempted abductions and a spate of brutal murders which have claimed 13 lives.
I've come to Malawi to try and speak to someone involved in this recent wave of killings.
My guide here is Overstone, president of the Malawian Albino Association.
- Hello.
- Hello, welcome.
I'm Oscar.
- I'm Overstone Kondowe.
- Overstone.
Very good to meet you.
Do you know why there was suddenly this spate of attacks? There are some kind of thoughts, maybe from our neighbouring countries, they have made their laws very strict for the witchdoctors, then they have escaped from Tanzania, they are in Malawi, they are doing the trade.
- They've been pushed out of other countries? - Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's what we thought.
Then the problem's reared its head here.
Emigrated to our country.
Overstone is taking me to a remote village in a rural region called Ntcheu, two hours outside the capital.
I've come to meet the family of Fletcher Masina, an albino man who was murdered six months ago.
But first, Mr.
Zebra, the local English teacher, wants to show me evidence that Fletcher's murder was just one in a series of attacks against albinos in the village.
- This is a graveyard? - Yeah.
Gosh.
This belongs to a person who had albinism? Yeah, that's it.
Right.
Yeah.
Stealing someone who's already gone.
It's exactly true.
The targeting of people with albinism has shocked the whole community.
While I was looking at the open grave, everybody's come out to see what's going on.
What are they saying to you, Overstone? They are saying that they aren't happy with the killing of persons with albinism in the area, especially the killing of Fletcher Masina is a very big concern to them.
Chikumbutso is Fletcher Masina's brother.
You must find it very hard to come here.
I'm sure.
And what would Fletcher have been doing here? It's certainly a really, really beautiful spot, but it's a long way from anything, isn't it? We've walked a long way, it's very isolated.
And how would people have known he was here, because it seems like an unusual place to find somebody? And who was it who discovered Fletcher when he was killed here? 150 metres.
You said that there was some blood here and you found the body over there, how was the body when you found it? Gosh.
It's really I think it's hard to put into words.
It's kind of like, you meet the community and the family and they're basically just living a nightmare.
He was just sorting out his tomatoes and was killed in a brutal, brutal way.
Because he had albinism.
You know, if someone tells you don't step on the lines in the pavement because of bad luck or if you break your mirror it's seven years bad luck, those sorts of superstitions beliefs, you sort of have a little bit of your mind which maybe thinks, maybe that is true, maybe I shouldn't step on the cracks in the pavement.
But you'd never believe in something like that enough to allow it let you kill somebody.
But obviously I don't have any superstitious beliefs which are as strong as the people here.
While superstition plays a big part in these murders, there's got to be more to it than just blind faith.
Back in Lilongwe, the chief advisor to the president has allowed me entry to the notorious Maula prison.
I'm going to meet one of the people being held on remand for the murder of Fletcher Masina.
I'm finally able to go face-to-face with someone who can tell me why he murdered an albino.
So, this is the prison? Yes.
It doesn't look much like a prison, but this is the administrative quarters.
We're meeting in the deputy chief of the prison's office, because they're not keen for us to see conditions inside the prison, so we can't go into the cells or anything like that.
Hello.
- My name is Oscar.
- Thank you, sir.
My name's Herbert.
I guess the first question has to be, why did you murder somebody with albinism? And did they promise you anything? And how many people were with you? And they promised each of you 40 million kwacha? Do you mind telling me about what happened on the day of the murder? And then? I met with Fletcher's brother in the garden where the murder happened and he explained to me that Fletcher had had different bits of his body cut off.
Did you see that? Why? Do you think it's OK to kill somebody for money? So why did you do it? Do you believe in witchcraft? Can I ask 40 million kwacha, that's a lot of money.
How much money as a farmer would you have made in one year? So what sort of person would have 40 million kwacha? Did you receive any money at all for what you did? Do you know how long you're likely to be in prison for? Really Really shocking, actually.
And what happened It's not just a murder, it's like a mutilation.
There were hammers and sticks.
You can blame Satan all you want, but, yeah, maybe it is kind of work of the devil, isn't it, whatever your religious beliefs are, but You know, it's not like they were possessed and made to do it.
They did it because they thought they could get money and I find that disgusting.
Money seems to be the driving force behind this horrific trade in human body parts.
I think it shows that life is very cheap.
The value on life is much less and I guess some of that comes from a culture where people die at home around people, life expectancy is shorter, there is less provision to deal with disease and public health is at a lower level than we'd see in Western Europe.
And it's really sad that people are prepared to kill and it's just a bit more easy come, easy go, I think.
The attacks on people with albinism have brought international attention and a proactive government response.
Now the albino population is being helped in other ways.
Standing Voice, a UK charity, provides skin clinics like this one across Tanzania.
So before I say goodbye to East Africa, I'm finally able to put my doctor's hat on again.
People with albinism have no natural protection from the sun, so skin cancer is rife and only 2% currently live beyond the age of 40.
Do you have any pain in your skin? It's painful? Here the dermatologists offer free consultations and use cryotherapy to freeze off any suspicious growths.
He's had some cryotherapy.
It's going to be a little bit It was really lovely to see that family with their cute little daughter who has albinism.
Her skin was immaculate.
She's living in Africa the whole time and they've been able to access the skin clinics and have been given a sunscreen.
She doesn't expose her skin to the sunlight.
So when you examine her feet The mum puts it on twice a day, every single day.
That is a big commitment for any parent to have to do.
Great shoes.
Ticklish? Yeah.
Well done, Mum.
Asante! Keep up the good work! After some of the horror I've witnessed here, places like this give me a tiny glimpse of the change that might be possible.
It's so lovely to see the little ones because they are so innocent.
They're not affected by any stigmatisation and if there is stigmatisation, they just don't understand it at that stage.
So they, I guess, represent a massive hope for the future and hopefully by the time those little children are adults, East Africa would've adapted to enable them to go hand-in-hand and be equivalent citizens to anybody else in the country, whether they have black skin or white skin.
And I'm heading back to England with a different outlook.
I definitely feel very proud of the people with albinism in Africa.
I'm not in their camp, very, very luckily for me, but I feel that they are very brave and amazing, really, how well they survive, given the pressures that are on them.
And I think that probably helps me to feel a little bit prouder about having albinism myself.
I don't have anything to fear on a daily basis, unless someone doesn't like this film! And I think just the process of talking about it so much has been helpful to me, so maybe that's a bit selfish, but I think perhaps by trying to help some of the people here in Africa, I've helped myself a little bit, too.
Just to feel a little bit more confident to stand up and say, "Yes, and so what?"