Standing up against superstitions

How Malawians with albinism protect themselves against superstition, witchdoctors and killings

Lilongwe, Malawi 16 June 2016

They defy fear of kidnappings, mutilation and murder in their fight against superstition and witchcraft. Malawians with albinism are under attack and have to make use of the spotlight educate people about what albinism is.

Bonface Massah strives to find a balance between his public advocacy and his own security. He operates both on and under the radar to protect himself and others with albinism in Malawi.

He has reluctantly become a public figure, sticking his neck out by speaking against those who target him. It is just as dangerous for Massah to remain silent. The superstitions are too pervasive and the myths too many, and they have gruesome consequences.

A text hits Massah’s phone and he asks for a break from the interview. 38-year-old Fletcher Masina has been found dead after being missing for two days. All that remains is his upper torso and his shaved head.

Massah calls up one of his colleagues and starts dictating another press release on his phone:

“This was a barbaric attack. We have lost another life. It is incredibly sad. We need immediate action,” he says with his back against the sun.

75 Malawians with albinism have been attacked since 2014, and the number is rising rapidly.

Lucky charms
Witch doctors believe that the blood, bones, skin and hair from people with albinism can be made into “lucky charms”. They send out human hunters on horrific missions. Body parts sell for hundreds of dollars and such missions are alluring to some of the world’s poorest people.

“If I don’t speak our case, it is as if I am failing the others and not protecting them from being killed. At the same time, I expose myself by going out and protecting them,” says Massah, who is immaculately dressed in a pinstriped suit and juggles two phones to keep in touch with the albinism community across the country.

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