Recently, Peter Ash, founder of “Under the Same Sun” visited one of our TAG (Tanzania Assemblies of God) churches near our home. “Under the Same Sun” is an organization that works on behalf of people with Albinism (PWA) living in Tanzania.
PWA in Tanzania are hunted and killed for their body parts which are used in potions to bring success and wealth. There are over 200,000 PWA in Tanzania; they are shunned by their society and often by their families and live in constant fear for their lives.
Peter Ash spoke about the importance of churches becoming involved in the plight of the PWA in Tanzania; providing them with the love and care that they need and being “safe places” for them to go to for fellowship and spiritual guidance. To date, churches have ignored the plight of the PWA in their country and their communities.
Our prayer is that all of our TAG churches will accept the challenges of ministering to people with Albinism. We hope they will reach out with the love that God has for all people and become sanctuaries of peace and security.
Just this past week, a woman with Albinism in the Simiyu region outside of Mwanza was hacked to death with machetes. The attackers cut off her leg and some of her fingers and she did not survive the attack; her two children are now without a mother.
She was the 67th PWA to die since 2000 due to injuries from attackers. Many more people with Albinism live today without fingers, toes, arms or legs from attacks that did not result in their deaths.
It is time for these horrendous crimes to be stopped and those who are guilty to be punished to the full extent of the law. It is time for the Christians of Tanzania to open their eyes to the plight of these people and become involved in helping them.