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, a first-generation Azorean-American visual storyteller, dedicates her artistic endeavors to social narratives and personal stories. Matilde engages in collaborative projects that empower individuals to co-create their narratives and shape their representation. Her accolades and collaborations with NGOs around the globe underscore her commitment to using visual art as a powerful tool for social activism. Notably, her evocative images find a place in the U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report and Kenyan Directory of Service Providers for Trafficking Persons.
