How a singer beat prejudice by nurturing his voice

There's a painful scene in the new Netflix drama Can You See Us? when the protagonist, Joseph, is attacked by men who pin him down and hack at his leg with a knife.

- Sarah Johnson

John Chiti, the man who inspired the character of Joseph, remembers this incident well. He was 15 and walking home with a friend after playing football in the Copperbelt province in Zambia. His attackers had been tracking his movements for some time. Chiti screamed and his friend shouted. "I was saved by passersby," Chiti said.

Can You See Us? tells the story of a boy with albinism who becomes a famous singer. It is based on Chiti's remarkable life.

Chiti has overcome rejection and discrimination to find success. He is one of about 25,000 people in Zambia with albinism, which is caused by a lack of melanin in skin, hair and eyes, and often leads to poor vision while increasing the risk of skin cancer.