Josephat Torner risks his life for change and acceptance

How many of us are willing to confront people willing to kill us – or who think we are cursed?  Not to blame or chastise, but to reach out and to educate?  Josephat Torner is a man with albinism in Tanzania who decides to take on the fear and superstition personally, saying, “I need to change society so it can accept me.”

He is the subject of a movie called “In the Shadow of the Sun” that is being screened at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in DC on February 19th.  Asante Mariamu has worked with Josephat for over a year now, and he traveled with our group last summer, visiting rural communities and educating people about albinism.

The threat to Josephat’s life is very real.  In each small town that the team visited, the first thing that he did was present himself to the local police station and register his presence in the community.  It was a not-too subtle way of saying: “I am here and I am not hiding.” That’s a powerful message for people with albinism in Tanzania, who often live on the margins of society.

We’ll tell more of Josephat’s story in another post, but for now – please mark you calendars and plan to join us at the West End Cinema in DC at 7:00 pm on February 19, 2014.  You’ll be profoundly moved by his courage, and will understand why we are dedicated to helping Josephat change life for people with albinism in East Africa.

“In the Shadow of the Sun,” a passionate look at acceptance and bravery.