2nd place
silver star award
ANA PALACIOS RUBIO
title
Albino
In Africa, there is a superstition that drinking an “albino potion” brings good luck, which is why they are hunted, mutilated and murdered by bounty hunters wanting to obtain ingredients for this highly prized concoction. However, their real enemy is the sun. The absence of melanin and a lack of suitable protection from the sun causes skin cancer that slashes their life expectancy to less than 30 years.
In Tanzania, the country with more albinos than anywhere else in the world, the government has found it necessary to build shelters to protect these people from the clutches of unscrupulous traffickers in human beings. At the shelter they are also taught how to prevent skin cancer and the lethal consequences of not protecting themselves from ultraviolet light.
This report shows what everyday life is like in Kabanga, a shelter for albinos, and also shines a light on the Spanish NGO, chemists and doctors who work to prevent the mortal consequences by fighting to address the discrimination and stigmatization suffered by this vulnerable community.
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entry description
THE DESPERATE PLIGHT OF THE TANZANIAN ALBINOSIn Africa, there is a superstition that drinking an “albino potion” brings good luck, which is why they are hunted, mutilated and murdered by bounty hunters wanting to obtain ingredients for this highly prized concoction. However, their real enemy is the sun. The absence of melanin and a lack of suitable protection from the sun causes skin cancer that slashes their life expectancy to less than 30 years.
In Tanzania, the country with more albinos than anywhere else in the world, the government has found it necessary to build shelters to protect these people from the clutches of unscrupulous traffickers in human beings. At the shelter they are also taught how to prevent skin cancer and the lethal consequences of not protecting themselves from ultraviolet light.
This report shows what everyday life is like in Kabanga, a shelter for albinos, and also shines a light on the Spanish NGO, chemists and doctors who work to prevent the mortal consequences by fighting to address the discrimination and stigmatization suffered by this vulnerable community.
about the photographer
Ana Palacios is a journalist and photographer. She divides her time between international film production and documentary photography, shining a light on broken corners of the world in collaboration with Manos Unidas, África Directo and In Movement. Represented by Espacio Foto, her work on cooperation in development has been published in The Guardian, Days Japan, XL Semanal, El País, Tiempo, Yo Dona, Mundo Negro, etc.back to gallery