[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 182]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          PEOPLE WITH ALBINISM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Connolly) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I have met many strong and 
courageous women in my lifetime, both here and abroad. But I rise today 
to recognize Mariamu Stanford, a young woman from Tanzania, who 
epitomizes the essence of bravery. I rise to shine a light on the 
untold horrors she and others with albinism faced, and continue to 
face, in East Africa.
  I rise to highlight an ongoing, but little known, crime against 
humanity in East Africa, particularly in rural Tanzania, where human 
beings with albinism are butchered and their body parts sold for 
profit. These horrific acts are perpetuated by witch doctors who 
believe the body parts of people with albinism have magical powers, and 
can be mixed in potions to bring the buyer good luck. Rural villages 
strong incentive to harvest the limbs of their neighbors with albinism, 
because a single limb can sell for as much as $2,000, a king's ransom 
in rural Tanzania.
  Mariamu, who has albinism, is one of the few survivors of these 
horrific attacks. Her story is one of fear, horror, and unbelievable 
courage. She told me her story, through an interpreter, when we met 
recently. One night in October of 2008, when she was asleep with her 
toddler son, a group of machete-wielding young men from her village 
broke into her home and attacked her. They cut off both of her arms 
while she struggled, screamed, and shielded her young son from the 
blows.
  It was six long hours after the attack before she, 5 months pregnant, 
was able to receive medical treatment. In the end, she also lost her 
unborn child. But she survived, and she is now relaying her story here 
in America in the hopes that these brutal crimes against people with 
albinism will come to an end.
  Mariamu came to the United States for a visit thanks to the 
generosity of many, including many of my constituents from Northern 
Virginia with albinism, and some who are parents of children with 
albinism. While she was here for nearly 2 weeks in December, Mariamu 
was fitted with prosthetic arms donated by the Orthotic Prosthetic 
Center in Fairfax, Virginia, and she underwent intensive physical 
therapy.
  She is a rare survivor of a horrible and inhumane crime that is a 
growing concern in East Africa. More than 54 people with albinism have 
been butchered in the region, most of them women and children. In 
November of 2008 a 6-year-old girl was shot dead in Burundi's eastern 
province of Ruyigi, close to the border with Tanzania. Her attackers 
removed her head and limbs, leaving only her dismembered torso.
  In January of 2009, three men armed with machetes killed an 8-year-
old boy in Burundi and smuggled his limbs into Tanzania. Every one of 
these stories border on the unbelievable, and quite frankly, turn my 
stomach, as I hope they do yours.
  Not only do people with albinism face violence in various parts of 
the world, but they also are at higher risk for medical complications 
from their condition. In East Africa's harsh sun, for example, skin 
cancer is very prevalent. But oftentimes, people with albinism have no 
choice but to expose themselves to the sun with little protection, as 
they must be outside to work, go to school, or attend to everyday 
business.
  Unfortunately, the medical issues the people with albinism face are 
the least of their worries in rural East Africa. The threat of brutal 
violence looms over them at all times. Tanzanian Prime Minister Mizengo 
Peter Pinda has condemned these violent crimes, as he should, against 
people with albinism, but judicial and enforcement barriers remain.
  My meeting with Mariamu and local families concerned about her plight 
has moved me to take action. I am contacting President Obama and the 
State Department to urge them to place diplomatic pressure on Tanzania 
to end these crimes against humanity and to provide education to dispel 
this myth that body parts of those with albinism have any supernatural 
properties.
  I also believe we must look at providing humanitarian and medical 
assistance to people with albinism in East Africa, with a focus 
particularly in Tanzania, where most of these brutal crimes have 
occurred. To this end, I plan to introduce a House Resolution 
recognizing the plight of people with albinism in East Africa, Mr. 
Speaker, condemning their murder and mutilation, and advocating 
remedies to bring an end to this heinous and misguided behavior.

                          ____________________