Future of Equity with Ludovick Peters

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Show: Shake Up The World

Source: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/shake-up-the-world/episodes/Future-of-Equity—St—Ludovick-Peters-efcdpo

Description

Ludovick is the Founder and CEO of SLIOC which is aimed at providing access to education and shelter for albino children in Tanzania. 

• In Tanzania, East Africa, people with white skin (known as albinos) are hunted like animals for their body parts which are widely believed to have magical and superstitious properties.
• As a result, between 2000 and 2017 there were 75 ‘registered’ killings of albinos, a further 61 survived attacks and there were 16 albino grave robberies.

Through his charitable organisation, St. Ludovick aims to provide access to education and shelter for the albino children and to provide safety and equality of participation in socio-economic activities for the albinos.

https://protecttanzaniaalbinos.com/

Especially during these times were the death of George Floyd has triggered the #BlackLivesMatter protests, with everyone discussing about diversity in workplaces and prevention of racial injustice, the message which St. Ludovick has is particularly deep and profound, and relevant to these times.

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Shreyas: Hello everyone, welcome to the Shake Up the World podcast. Today we have a very important guest - Ludwig Peters from Tanzania. Ludwig hails from the Eastern African region and has been working closely with children who have albinism. There’s a disturbing situation there where people with albinism are hunted for their body parts, which are distributed in the black market supposedly for magical and superstitious properties. Ludwig, as the founder and CEO of SLIOC, is working to provide access to education and shelter for these children in Tanzania.

Let’s get started. Ludwig, could you tell us a bit more about yourself and this beautiful country you’re from? I’m sure most of our audience might not be familiar with the landscape and people there.

Ludwig: My name is Ludwig Peters. I’m 50 years of age, Tanzanian. I’m a teacher by profession and I’ve taught for several years in different schools in this country. When it comes to English teachers in Tanzania, my name is among them. I’ve been teaching in different schools, though I’m no longer an active teacher. What I do now is help junior teachers, equipping them with more skills and empowering them with knowledge. I also occasionally work with the Institute of Curriculum Development of Tanzania, where we evaluate whether the curriculum is valid, useful, and relevant.

I now run my own charity called the Saint Ludwig Institute of Charity, which started in 2016. SLIOC is an activist-based organization located in the Ukerewe part of Tanzania. We fight for the rights and interests of people with albinism, basically children whose lives are in danger in these parts because of the belief that having albino body parts makes you rich, prosperous, and successful. Because of this, albinos are often hunted like wild animals.

My organization tries to educate society and get rid of these fetish ideas. We want people to understand that albinos are ordinary people like any others - it’s only a slight skin disorder that makes them different. We empower albinos and their parents, provide access to education and medical facilities, and help them overcome fear and social isolation.

Shreyas: This is quite shocking to hear. How did this belief system start?

Ludwig: It started with witch doctors who claimed that mixing albino body parts with certain charms would make the holder successful. Initially, it began with people who work in mines, but later it spread to politicians and ordinary businessmen who thought possessing such charms would make them rich.

Shreyas: Is this problem confined to Tanzania?

Ludwig: No, there’s a similar problem in neighboring Malawi, and also in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. But it’s not very common in other countries. I once read about a case in Nigeria, which is also believed to be full of superstitions.

Shreyas: How relevant is traditional medicine or witchcraft today, even when modern medicine is available?

Ludwig: The problem is that people are fooled. Many believe the best way to succeed is through shortcuts. You’ll find young men in Africa who believe joining groups like Freemasons or Illuminati will make them rich. When they see someone prosper through hard work, they assume it’s because of supernatural power.

The belief in supernatural power is very intense here in Africa. People go to mosques and churches but simultaneously believe in fetish ideas. We sometimes call this “African technology.” People believe they need charms or must visit witch doctors to succeed - whether winning elections or getting high positions. Nigeria and South Africa are particularly famous for such supernatural beliefs.

Shreyas: So traditional medicine is preferred over conventional medicine because of these superstitious beliefs?

Ludwig: We have traditional herbalists who are even recognized by the government. In Africa, we believe we’re surrounded by different medicines. You can go to hospitals for some diseases, but there are others that cannot be cured there. When someone receives a negative diagnosis at the hospital, they turn to traditional herbalists.

There are two types: traditional herbalists who only heal, and native doctors who can both cure and cause harm. This is done secretly, so no one can prove whether killing an albino actually makes you rich. That’s why albinos live in perpetual fear.

Shreyas: Do albino children and adults avoid going outside or participating in normal activities?

Ludwig: They mostly target children because they believe children are pure and undefiled, making them good for sacrifices. But generally, any albino - child or adult - is under threat at any moment.

Shreyas: What personal experiences led you to start this organization?

Ludwig: In Tanzania, the killing of albinos is very common in my area. I’ve witnessed several cases myself - visiting villages where a child has been adopted, and days later finding the child brutally murdered. I decided to concentrate on this area because it’s where such incidents happen frequently, and there are many native doctors around here.

When I started SLIOC, I faced opposition even from fellow countrymen and friends who thought this issue shouldn’t be discussed publicly. But when I shared the idea with friends in Europe and other parts of the world, they were shocked to learn that someone could take another’s life to succeed.

Shreyas: How do local people receive your cause? It seems reasonable to support albinos, but is there public support?

Ludwig: If you ask people directly, everyone will say this is barbarism - the highest degree of barbarism. Everyone condemns it publicly. But secretly, behind the scenes, some of the very same people support it because they believe they can become rich from it.

When we talk about witchcraft being “African technology,” you’ll find people in churches and mosques carrying charms. Even priests sometimes have charms to support them, despite preaching against believing in idols.

Shreyas: What would be the right approach to bring about behavioral change and make communities more inclusive?

Ludwig: The most important thing is educating people to understand albinism - how one becomes an albino. The mistreatment doesn’t just end with threats of killing; there’s also segregation. Marriages often dissolve when a woman gives birth to a child with albinism. Some families kill the children or outcast the mother and family entirely.

People need to understand that there’s no significant difference between a person with albinism and an ordinary person. The only difference is the lack of a particular pigment.

Shreyas: Why do families outcast albinos?

Ludwig: It’s superstition. They think having an albino brings bad luck or is caused by a curse in the family. They consider it an abomination, and someone can be banished from the village for having a child with albinism.

Shreyas: Can these children get proper education?

Ludwig: Yes, they get education but under very difficult circumstances. The government mandates that albino children should be integrated with normal children, but albino children have poor eyesight and are affected by direct sunlight. Some schools give them special privileges like sitting close to the blackboard, but it’s difficult in overcrowded government schools.

I work by going to villages where albinos live and advising parents about the importance of education. Once they understand, I negotiate for children to be enrolled in schools where they mix with normal children. I’m linked with a school that accommodates both ordinary children and children with special needs. The school is guarded 24 hours by police, and teachers are specially trained to deal with children with disabilities.

Shreyas: How do you ensure proper vetting of volunteers and workers to prevent attacks or kidnapping?

Ludwig: I cannot say I’m 100% sure about the vetting process. I have faith and trust the people I assign work to. Before becoming a teacher, I aspired to be a priest in the Roman Catholic Church, so faith is my first priority.

I learned lessons from previous work where there was misappropriation of funds and dubious activities. Now with SLIOC, I’m very careful. I look at the people I work with, monitor information dissemination, observe responses, check on parents and children’s welfare, and regularly visit the school to see what’s happening.

When dealing with people, it’s very difficult to know someone’s integrity and credibility because these are personal matters.

Shreyas: What lessons have you learned about human nature through this work?

Ludwig: When I launched SLIOC, I met challenges and opposition, but I also gained opportunities to learn things I wouldn’t have known otherwise. I conducted research on an island - the biggest in our country - known for witchcraft. Going there was a great risk, but I needed to see the situation with the highest number of albinos.

I spent almost six hours crossing Lake Victoria to reach the island. I was afraid but kept praying. I tried to behave as innocently as possible, showing the highest degree of obedience to everyone I met. My research was successful, and now I’ve been there several times.

Politicians sometimes see organizations like mine as threats because we might expose them. Most politicians aren’t straightforward. While the government officially supports protecting people with albinism, individual politicians worry about being exposed since native doctors sometimes reveal which officials have visited them.

Shreyas: How does the government support your cause?

Ludwig: The government tries its best to support movements ensuring people with albinism are protected. If you ask for permission to hold meetings, they accommodate you. If you need security because your life is in danger, you can approach the government for protection.

But I was referring specifically to politicians who sometimes view us as threats because they might be exposed through our work.

Shreyas: Through SLIOC, have you made connections beyond Africa?

Ludwig: I’ve made many friends outside the African continent. Many people support me morally, donate funds and materials. Some come to Tanzania in person to see me. When people learn about Tanzania’s beauty and our work, they want to visit.

I look forward to receiving many visitors, including you, once COVID-19 is over.

Shreyas: Tanzania does seem beautiful with its wildlife and landscape.

Ludwig: Sometimes I ask myself why God gave us this special privilege. Almost everything one would want to see is found in Tanzania. In terms of natural resources, every kind is found here. Any tropical animal you mention exists here.

We have exciting natural areas like the Ngorongoro Crater - a deep hole about 2,000 feet deep with animals living inside. We have Serengeti, Mount Kilimanjaro, large lakes. For minerals, we have gold, copper, diamond, uranium, gas, nickel, mercury, and Tanzanite, which is found only here. We are blessed - a country very much favored by God.

Shreyas: What about employment opportunities for albinos who receive education?

Ludwig: One of our permanent secretaries in the Ministry of Labor is an albino, showing that the president recognizes their potential. In the workforce, albinos are given opportunities if they’re qualified. But they face many challenges penetrating and becoming successful due to mistreatment they receive.

Slowly, because of activists like my charity, people are being educated to accept albinos. They’re given chances to express themselves and can be employed. People are starting to realize that albinos are ordinary people.

However, some families still regard albinism as a curse or demon, not seeing albinos as normal people.

Shreyas: Have there been documentaries about this issue?

Ludwig: Yes, a few years ago, a BBC broadcaster came to Tanzania and made intensive research on albinos’ plight, in collaboration with Under the Same Sun, an organization from Canada led by someone who is also an albino. There was a BBC documentary specifically about the plight of albinos in Tanzania.

From there, other organizations came doing similar work. For example, in my research in Ukerewe Island, I collaborated with Standing Voice, I think based in the Netherlands.

Shreyas: What are your future ambitions for addressing this issue?

Ludwig: I believe the albino issue needs to be addressed from a very broad perspective. My ambition is to have a radio and TV station to reach more people. Currently, stations don’t talk much about albinos’ plight.

If I could get financial support, having media would be a powerful weapon to influence people and change their mindset. People need to understand albinism in detail and accept that it’s not a sin, curse, or abomination - it’s something very normal.

Some organizations that came to fight for albinos’ rights became victims of corruption. I hear even TASK (Tanzania Albino Society) is corrupt, receiving lots of funds but using them inappropriately. The albinism issue needs extensive addressing, not just by a few groups who take it as a project for personal gain.

Shreyas: Given what’s happening in the US with racial injustice protests following George Floyd’s death, do you have takeaway messages about racial discrimination in general?

Ludwig: I find it puzzling that blacks are still being discriminated against. We had similar issues with apartheid in South Africa, but thanks to efforts by people like Nelson Mandela, that was largely solved.

People need to understand that whether I’m black, white, yellow, or green, I remain human. As someone religious, I refer to the Bible teaching that we’re created by God and carry God’s image. This means everyone should see God’s image in others.

We need to regard, love, and have affection for each other because we are one. Why should we discriminate or mistreat each other? It’s disappointing that despite advances in science and technology, we still have racial discrimination ideas.

Shreyas: Those are powerful words. As we conclude, how can people reach out to you or your organization?

Ludwig: People can reach me through my email and website. I want to invite everyone to come to Tanzania. It’s a beautiful country, and I feel proud being Tanzanian. Instead of going to other places to see old buildings, come to Tanzania where you can see live animals and natural beauty, and also see what we’re doing with our albino projects.

Shreyas: Thank you so much, Ludwig, for joining this program and sharing your important work.

Ludwig: Thank you, my brother.

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For more information about Ludwig Peters’ work or to support SLIOC, listeners can find contact details and resources through the podcast website.