Referring to the stigma he faces in Somalia because he has albinism, 25 year-old Elmi Bile Mohamed says: "People tell me I am a cannibal and that I will eat their children.

Mr Mohamed has struggled to find a place to live in the capital, Mogadishu, since leaving his rural home in the central region of Hiraan.

The money he earns from begging is rarely enough to cover his meals and rent, let alone the sunblock and glasses he needs to protect his sensitive skin and eyes.

Mr Mohamed’s dreams of running away to Mogadishu to earn money to send back to his family, especially his albino brothers, have been shattered.

Earlier this year, about 80 families living with albinism in Mogadishu came together to form an association, Somali Albinos, which they hope will raise awareness about their plight and help reduce stigma.

Its walls and roof are constructed from old cloth and broken, rusted sheets of corrugated iron, not enough to stop the sunlight pouring in and burning the children’s skin.

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