Vicky Ntetema — Tanzanian investigative journalist and albino-rights advocate

Investigative reporting and methods

Ntetema used undercover techniques and careful sourcing to document how superstition and criminal networks combined to put people with albinism at risk. Her investigations described patterns of abduction, mutilation and murder, and suggested links between traditional beliefs, witchcraft practices and an illicit market for body parts. Her work relied on interviews with survivors, families and sometimes anonymous informants, and aimed to bring evidence to journalists, human rights groups and authorities.

Advocacy and organizational work

Following her investigative career Ntetema shifted toward advocacy for the protection and rights of albino people. She has served in leadership roles with organizations that provide legal support, public education and protection programs for affected communities, including a directorship with the NGO Under the Same Sun, which focuses on improving safety and social inclusion for people with albinism.

Impact, recognition and risks

Her reporting helped focus national and international attention on the crisis affecting albino communities, prompting media coverage, civil society campaigns and increased pressure on law enforcement. For her courage and public service Ntetema received the International Women of Courage Award in 2016. At the same time she and others who exposed these abuses faced threats to their safety and at times needed to go into hiding or relocate.

Notable facts

• Born around 1958 and active as an investigative journalist in East Africa.
• Documented killings and trafficking of body parts that targeted people with albinism.
• Has combined journalism with NGO leadership to advance protection and human rights.
• Recipient of the 2016 International Women of Courage Award.

For further context about the issues Ntetema reported on, consult resources about journalism and human-rights reporting and background on the situation in Tanzania. Profiles of journalists who work under threat can be found via general press-freedom and safety resources such as journalism organizations.