Too scared to sleep

Femia Tchulani survived an attempted kidnapping by people wanting to kill her for her body parts. She told the BBC how a gang tried to lure her away from her home two years ago:

It was a Friday. Five men and one woman came here at about 7pm.

I was in the kitchen preparing our supper and my husband was outside here.

They told him that they were policemen and had come to protect me because some people were looking for me to kill me.

I was scared because these were total strangers. I had never seen them before.

There was such commotion that some of our neighbours gathered.

They were not wearing police uniform.

I was not convinced at first, but then they mentioned the name of the police chief from this area.

In fact, they showed us guns and even identity cards.

That is when my husband and I, and some of the neighbours, agreed to go with them to the police unit. When we got there, the police post was locked.

The five who claimed to be police officers called three other people from a nearby bar. They now tried to force my husband and me to go to a station further from our area.

It was very strange. They sent away anyone else who was curious, so it was just me, my husband, and the neighbours.

My husband insisted that we had not committed any crime; why were we going to be taken to a police station?

We stood our ground and they were very angry. They just left.

I have never seen them again since that day.

We know the police officers that operate in our area. But those people were strangers.

Roof targeted

My life has completely changed since then.

I have got eight children, some of whom go to secondary school.

Before the incident, I could go to the place where we buy vegetables in bulk and I would go door to door selling them.

Now I am always afraid to move deep into the township. So all I’m left with is the bench at the market, where I sell from.

As a result, I cannot make enough money for my children’s school fees, uniforms and even for food.

I have to restrict myself to the market stall. Now some of our children have been sent home from school.

I do not feel that the police or government are doing anything to protect people with albinism like me.

I live by the grace of God. I just thank God when I wake up each morning. I still do not feel safe.

One night, some people tried to break into the house through the roof.

We woke up and raised an alarm; we came out of the house and shouted. That is when they run away.

The community is aware that people like us are at risk; especially the neighbours, and the women at the market.

That is why they asked the BBC team lots of questions when you came here, because they know what happened to me, and they don’t want it to happen again.

When you look at my house, I don’t even have good doors to protect me at night.

So night time for me is like day. I am too scared to sleep. I am always afraid that maybe these people will come back.

So I need a good house.

But I would also like my government to look into my welfare, because I am unable to work and earn enough income for my family because of what happened.

If that happened, I would be a happy person.n