Born Different

A compelling documentary account of the lives of people with albinism in Africa Written by Czech cultural anthropologist Kateřina Mildnerová and illustrated with photographs by Mozambican photojournalist Antonio Cossa, Born Different combines rigorous research, literary storytelling, and powerful photography to offer a compelling account of the everyday lives and inner worlds of people with albinism in Africa. In some parts of the continent, their physical difference is associated with curses, stigma, and violence, elsewhere, it is regarded as a sign of sacredness and spiritual significance. By revealing the striking contrast between these two radically different cultural worlds, the book invites readers to reflect on how society’s understanding of normality and difference shapes the value placed on human life. Much of the book draws on extensive ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Zambia, where people with albinism often live in constant fear. Deeply rooted myths and superstitions strip them of their humanity—they are believed to be spirits who never truly die. As a result, they become targets of abduction, sexual violence, brutal assaults, and ritual killings. Giving voice to survivors and to those whose experiences too often remain unheard, the book portrays everyday life lived under the shadow of fear, violence, and injustice. A very different perspective emerges in West African Benin, where, within the traditional religion of Vodun, people with albinism are respected and revered as incarnations of the creator deity. The book is accompanied by a collection of documentary photographs and artistic portraits from Zambia and Benin. Together with the literary narratives, they convey a powerful message: difference should never determine the value of a human life, and every person deserves to live with dignity.