Children of the Moon
Alabaster-skinned people born on a sun-scorched group of islands off Panama’s Caribbean coast are venerated as “Children of the Moon”. Albinos make up between 5 and 10 percent of the roughly 80,000 indigenous Gunas who live on the mainland of the Guna Yala region and its islands. With their sensitive skin and eyes, young Guna albinos must be shuttled to and from school, avoiding the baking heat, while they watch their friends play in the streets. International Albinism Awareness Day was June 13th.–By Reuters
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Delyane Avila, 6, who is part of the albino or “Children of the Moon” group in the Guna Yala indigenous community, drew on her notebook next to neighbors on Ailigandi Island in the Guna Yala region, Panama. (Carlos Jasso/Reuters)
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Edna Perez, 71, sat outside her house on Ailigandi Island. Perez suffers from skin cancer. (Carlos Jasso/Reuters)
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Jade Morales, 12, did her homework on a hammock inside her house. (Carlos Jasso/Reuters)
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Children played under the full moon on Achutupu Island. (Carlos Jasso/Reuters)
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Aigner Gonzalez, 17, who is part of the albino or “Children of the Moon” group in the Guna Yala indigenous community, posed for a photograph. (Carlos Jasso/Reuters)
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Iveily Morales, 3, posed for a photograph on Ustupu Island. (Carlos Jasso/Reuters)
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Kipigaliler Harris, 5, stood with friends and relatives outside his house as they looked at the camera. (Carlos Jasso/Reuters)
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Iveily Morales, 3, stood by her house on Ustupu Island. (Carlos Jasso/Reuters)
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The hands of Diwirgui Martinez, 40, as he played dominoes with friends. (Carlos Jasso/Reuters)
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Iveily Morales, 3, stood next to her mother at their house on Ustupu Island in the Guna Yala region. (Carlos Jasso/Reuters)
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Four albino sisters, from left, Iveily, Donilcia, Jade and Yaisseth Morales, posed for a photograph with their mother, brothers and sisters. (Carlos Jasso/Reuters)
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An archive photograph of Margarita, a Guna albino or “Child of the Moon”, that shows her during her visit to Washington in 1924; the photograph is displayed at the Guna congress on Achutupu Island. (Carlos Jasso/Reuters)
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Diwirgui Martinez, 40, had his hair braided by a child. (Carlos Jasso/Reuters)
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Yaisseth Morales, 11, stood amongst her classmates at the local school. (Carlos Jasso/Reuters)
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Aneth Fernadez, 20, held her new born baby by the doorway of her house. (Carlos Jasso/Reuters)
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Issac Gonzalez, 16, played football with his friends on Ustupu Island. (Carlos Jasso/Reuters)
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