Vicky brought Mariamu’s story to light when they met in late 2008 shortly after the attack. Vicky was already familiar with the issue – she had reported on the murders of people with albinism in East Africa since early 2008. Realizing that there was an organized black market for body parts, she had gone underground to expose the atrocities. When death threats ensued, Vicky went into hiding but continued to report and advocate on behalf of others with albinism in the area.

Many of us who watched the show 20/20 program were immediately compelled to act.  We called ABC News, the Tanzanian Embassy, and government officials.  We started gathering information and making plans about what we could do to assist people halfway across the world – people that looked like our children, our spouses, our friends, and ourselves.

We all worked together to bring Mariamu and Vicky here shortly after the program aired.   The National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation’s (NOAH) members and other concerned people arranged flights, and medical consultations with specialists.  A family found a prosthetic company willing to fit Mariamu with prosthetic arms for free. We also gathered clothing, food and arranged for a nurse who speaks Swahili. Kitty DeWitt from Fairfax, Virginia, a woman with two adult children with albinism opened up her home and her heart to Mariamu and Vicky to the extended visit.

We met Mariamu and Vicky at the airport on a Sunday evening in early December.  A light snow delighted Mariamu, and her quiet grace and easy smile created an immediate

place in our hearts. Mariamu displayed her innate bravery and determination during hte next two weeks while she was fitted with her new arms and learned how to use them -- a process that normally takes months. We were so moved by her story that we sought a meeting with U.S. Representative Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA), who represents many of us in the area. We hoped to find a willing ear and sympathetic response. Once Mariamu and Vicky shared their story, it was clear that we now had a committed advocate on our behalf.  Representative Connolly pledged to introduce a House Resolution condemning the East African crisis; to work with the government officials in the U.S. and in Tanzania to stop the killings; and bring about change.

Our story continues to unfold, and we hope that you will continue to follow along as we work to put an end to these horrific murders and mutilations, and eradicate the ignorance and prejudice surrounding albinism in East Africa. ~ Susan DuBois

In 2009, those of us active in the albinism community in the U.S. and Canada were excited when we heard that the ABC News Show 20/20 was going to air a program on albinism. We hoped that the show would help dispel some of the ignorance that surrounds the condition, and show that people with albinism can live a perfectly normal life. 

While Positive Exposure and Under the Same Sun have been working on this issue for more than a year, most of us were unprepared for the graphic focus on the plight of albinos in East Africa when the program aired in September 2009. It introduced a young woman named Mariamu Staford who had survived a brutal attack that left her without any arms. The show also featured Vicky Ntetema, the BBC bureau chief for Tanzania.