Until recently I knew very little about ‘Albinism.’ I live in the US and
have had limited exposure to people with this genetic condition. This
changed when I was introduced to Bibiana and Tindi. These teenage
girls are from Tanzania and their dramatic life experiences have
thrusted them into advocating a broader awareness for Albinism.
- I did not know that, while Albinism is a recessive gene, there are
countries with a significantly higher occurrence of this condition. While
the US has an occurrence of 1:200,000, countries like Tanzania have
rates of 1:1,300.
- I did not know that there are places where Albino children are
attacked and maimed for the purpose of harvesting body parts for
profit. Tanzania is one of the countries that this superstitious practice
is perpetuated by witch doctors and the ‘unknown’ source of funds.
When she was 10, while her sister slept, vicious men yielding
machetes attacked Bibiana during the night. Her right leg was severed
above the knee and two fingers on her right hand were lost during
this brutal attack. Bibiana is in the US to be fitted for a new prosthetic
leg and both girls have hopes of continuing their education here
without fear. It is inconceivable to imagine going through such a
horrific experience, yet these girls are survivors.
I am creating a sequence of photos with the purpose of broadening
awareness of this condition and current crisis in East Africa. I will be
focusing on the special bond between these sisters and the resolve
they have to be more than a statistic bound by this horrifying life
experience. They are sweet girls with dreams and aspirations to
continuing their education and experience life as normal teenagers.
This photo essay is timely since June 13th 2015 was established as
the first UN International Albinism Awareness Day
I have always appreciated photography and began my own journey years ago exploring and refining my eye for seeing, respecting, and capturing the beauty around me. My journey with photography has exposed me to some amazing moments that are powerful memories that stay with me just the same. I have found myself drawn to photo essays since still photography is a powerful way to translate conditions and experiences between different cultures. I am motivated and dedicated to using my skills as a photographer to tell powerful and meaningful stories that evokes an understanding and/or action.
