The threat of violence lead albino children to drop out of school, if their parents aren’t already hiding them away from the public eye. Adults with albinism avoid being out after dark. It’s commonly believed that albinism is contagious, causing those with the condition to be further shunned. Many of those who orchestrate abductions are close relatives.

““[The attacks] have changed everything. When I was growing up I believed that I could do anything. Now I am very sensitive. I cannot take a lift from strangers. In the past I was moving about without fear…I don’t feel safe,” an albino woman named Chimwemwe told Amnesty in February.

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