Malawians with Albinism Face Stigma and Violence

By Julian Hayda
Edna Cedrick holds her surviving albino son after his twin brother who had albinism was snatched from her arms in a violent struggle in 2016. Cedrick says she is haunted daily by images of the decapitated head of her 9 year old son. At least 18 Albino people have been killed in Malawi in a “steep upsurge in killings” since November 2014, and five others have been abducted and remain missing, according to Amnesty International.
Edna Cedrick holds her surviving albino son after his twin brother who had albinism was snatched from her arms in a violent struggle in 2016. Cedrick says she is haunted daily by images of the decapitated head of her 9 year old son. At least 18 Albino people have been killed in Malawi in a "steep upsurge in killings" since November 2014, and five others have been abducted and remain missing, according to Amnesty International. AP Photo
Edna Cedrick holds her surviving albino son after his twin brother who had albinism was snatched from her arms in a violent struggle in 2016. Cedrick says she is haunted daily by images of the decapitated head of her 9 year old son. At least 18 Albino people have been killed in Malawi in a “steep upsurge in killings” since November 2014, and five others have been abducted and remain missing, according to Amnesty International.
Edna Cedrick holds her surviving albino son after his twin brother who had albinism was snatched from her arms in a violent struggle in 2016. Cedrick says she is haunted daily by images of the decapitated head of her 9 year old son. At least 18 Albino people have been killed in Malawi in a "steep upsurge in killings" since November 2014, and five others have been abducted and remain missing, according to Amnesty International. AP Photo

Malawians with Albinism Face Stigma and Violence

By Julian Hayda
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Today is Albinism Awareness Day. People with the genetic condition have been stigmatized in southeast Africa for years, but a steep surge of violence against people with the condition has been reported in Malawi in recent years. So far in 2018, at least 15 people have been killed and more have been kidnapped. The government blames a “sophisticated syndicate” for the violence. The stigma and associated violence has been credited to political and cultural beliefs in the region. Peter Ash is the founder and CEO of Under the Same Sun, an NGO working to fight against stigmatization of people living with Albinism. We hear this interview from 2017 in honor of International Albinism Awareness Day, which his organization lobbied to create in 2014.