Mariamu’s remarkable journey continues with her graduation with a vocational degree in commercial knitting.

Mariamu Staford, a 32 year old mother with albinism graduated with a three-year vocational training degree in commercial knitting from the Imani Vocational Training Centre in Moshi, Tanzania. Mariamu serves as our organization’s inspiration because of her grace and courage in the face of extreme adversity. Obtaining a vocational training certificate is a rare accomplishment for someone with albinism in Tanzania, but what makes Mariamu extraordinary is that she has achieved this goal without arms.

Mariamu was lost her both of her arms in a brutal attack in October of 2008, when two men attacked her with machetes. The men hoped to benefit from the myth that albino body parts can bring wealth or luck. Through her determination and great spirit, she survived the attack, traveled to the US to receive prosthetic arms, and began her pursuit of the certificate.

Mariamu has decided to pursue an advanced certificate, including computer training, and she hopes to open her own shop someday. Asante Mariamu has purchased a commercial knitting machine, and donated a computer, to help her make this dream a reality.