Dar Es Salaam , Tanzania ( CNN ) -- It conjures images of cauldrons and pointed hats if you live in the western world or exotic masks and sacred objects if you 're on the African continent . Around the world a sense of mystery and fear engulfs witchcraft and nowhere is this more evident than in the East African nation of Tanzania . Here , faith in this specific form of African tradition can turn deadly . People with albinism have been dismembered in western parts of the country because so-called witchdoctors perpetuate a belief that albino body parts bring great wealth . From the archives : Scores of albinos in hiding after attacks . Those suspected of witchcraft are also targeted ; an estimated 600 elderly women were killed in 2011 due to the suspicion they were witches , according to the Legal and Human Rights Center in Tanzania . In fact , the Pew Forum on Religious and Public life conducted 25,000 face-to-face interviews in 19 African nations and found that among them , Tanzanians hold the strongest belief in witchcraft . It says 60 % of the Tanzanians interviewed believe that sacrifices to ancestors or spirits can protect them from harm , and that many Christians and Muslims incorporate elements of traditional African beliefs into their daily lives . Dark arts flourished in Tanzania partly because , compared to its neighbors , it was `` less colonized '' by European powers , explains Joachim Mwami of Dar Es Salaam University . The anthropology professor says for centuries , witchcraft has `` served to explain anything inexplicable , '' in rural villages like a severely sick child or strange illness . Professor Mwami admitted that , `` even in my own family , I was advised [ as a child ] not to visit certain relatives considered to be witches , '' even though there was no proof . He says without access to education , people are more likely to follow the claims of traditional healers and pass down those beliefs to the next generation . Students at Dar Es Salaam University were reluctant to talk to CNN about opinions relating to witchcraft . Some explained , even if they do n't personally believe in the practice , their relatives take it seriously . Others feel one must believe in the practice for it to have any power over them . So even with a university education , some students retain some faith in witchcraft . Read related : Saudi woman beheaded for witchcraft . Believers seeking healing regularly visit Mama Safi , a self-proclaimed `` good witch , '' who gained her powers after being visited by spirits , she says . `` I 'm able to remove evil , stomach sickness , migraines , typhoid and diabetes too , '' she boasts . Safi conducts parts of her ceremonies in Arabic , even though she claims to have never studied it . Her fee ranges anywhere from $ 20 to $ 120 depending on the service provided ; expensive when you consider most Tanzanians live on less than $ 2 a day . Professor Mwami says the charging of any type of fee is not typical among traditional African healers and is more common among con artists capitalizing on the fears of others . Debunking the claims of other so-called witches is Suleiman Musa , a man with albinism living in fear while trying to raise awareness about his genetic condition . Albinism reveals itself through a lack of melanin or coloring in the skin , hair and eyes . Musa says many of his albino friends fled their rural homes after being chased out by locals . He too experiences prejudice and animosity from strangers . `` I bear the pain because I ca n't do anything [ else ] , '' he says . Tanzania 's first elected albino lawmaker : 'We deserve rights ' However , in the bustling city of Dar Es Salaam he 's found support through an informal football team made up of people with albinism ; Albinos United . He relishes the chance to explain to onlookers that he 's `` normal , because this is the color God chose for me . '' Musa does n't believe treatment of albinos will improve if Tanzanians remain uneducated about albinism . Professor Mwami agrees that education is precisely what 's needed to address issues surrounding witchcraft saying , `` the popularization of science is the only answer to these predicaments as far as Tanzania and belief systems are concerned . ''
Some 60 % of Tanzanians believe sacrifices to spirits or ancestors can protect them from harm . Witchcraft serves to explain things that are inexplicable to those in rural villages without education , says anthropology professor . Albinos suffer discrimination and sometimes danger because some people believe their body parts bring great wealth .