Mwigulu, a Tanzanian survivor of a superstition-driven attack waits to receive prosthetic care for her left arm at Dare to Dream Home in New York. Mwigulu lives in constant fear of attack and death after having his arm removed by organ traffickers. He is among the nearly 7,000 Tanzanians with albinism, a hereditary condition that results in a lack of pigmentation in skin, hair, and eyes. In Tanzania children with albinism are murdered so their skin, hair, and appendages can be used by witchdoctors to make charms and potions believed to bring wealth and power.
Matilde Simas is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker. She also serves as the Creative Art Director for the Limb Kind Foundation, where she combines her artistic vision and storytelling expertise to raise global awareness about the challenges faced by individuals with limb loss. With a background in psychology and women’s studies from Suffolk University and advanced training in digital photography at the Rhode Island School of Design, Matilde brings a unique perspective to her work, guided by a trauma-informed approach that emphasizes documenting dignity within vulnerable communities.