Pakistan - Outside a Muslim shrine in this dusty Pakistani city, a "rat woman" with a tiny head sits on a filthy mattress and takes money from worshippers who cling to an ancient fertility rite.
Nadia, 25, is one of hundreds of young microcephalics - people born with small skulls and protruding noses and ears because of a genetic mutation - who can be found on the streets of Gujrat, in central Punjab province. Officials say many of them have been sold off by their families to begging mafias, who exploit a tradition that the "rat children" are sacred offerings to Shah Daula, the shrine's 17th century Sufi saint. More... Discount Magazine Subscriptions - Discount Cigarettes & Tobacco - Nutty News Marketplace - PetsMart
Nadia, 25, is one of hundreds of young microcephalics - people born with small skulls and protruding noses and ears because of a genetic mutation - who can be found on the streets of Gujrat, in central Punjab province. Officials say many of them have been sold off by their families to begging mafias, who exploit a tradition that the "rat children" are sacred offerings to Shah Daula, the shrine's 17th century Sufi saint. More... Discount Magazine Subscriptions - Discount Cigarettes & Tobacco - Nutty News Marketplace - PetsMart
