Thread by @BlenaSahilu

In one of the women’s shelters we visited today I saw a pregnant young woman, crying quietly. We asked what happened & the ladies from AA women’s association told us her story.

Aselefech is from Burayu & has been crying for days b/c she wants to see her husband. 1/10 #Ethiopia

She is very pregnant & due any minute. She has a tape on her forehead, an injury on her right side & her right hand is still swollen. She was beaten inside her home and attacked with a knife. She was brought to hospital in an ambulance & hasn’t seen her husband since. 2/10

We asked if she’s in pain, if she needs anything, ... she said “no, I just want my husband”.
Me: where is he?
Her: Filipos new alugn
Me: can we call him?
Her: battery alqotal *breaks down in tears*
Me: but you are due any minute, it’s better here closer to hospital ... 3/10

Her: Ene balen new mifeligew *cries ...*

So we discuss with the team decided to take her there. We got permission, took one rep from the association with us and headed to Filipos to find him.

I prayed that her husband is okay, and that we find him there ... 4/10

When we got to Filipos camp there were buses outside and police everywhere. They were about to move them either to other camps or back home. They told us some had already left.
I couldn’t believe it. I told them who she was & we rushed in to look for her husband. 5/10

Inside the camp she found young boys she knew and her face LIT UP when they said “Ah! Tamrat is here! upstairs, on the second floor!

The smile on her face - besmam! :)

He came down to meet us and they hugged. She started crying again and this time obviously for joy. 😊 6/10

As we told him how she’d been & what she needs now -I saw her shivering. She was so focused on finding him that she didn’t even realize how cold she was. We gave her a blanket and I stood there in awe of her & all she went thru in the past week 9months pregnant & alone! 7/10

I wanted to cry. I wondered what I would do & feel if I was separated from the man I love and my entire family, wounded, and 9 months pregnant.

Human beings are so strange, cruel, resilient, beautiful and complicated.

8/10

Aselefech is incredibly strong & has one hell of a story to tell her baby. One of survival and resilience.

I pray that she gives birth safely & they get to go home soon.

I hope all of them get to go home soon. 🙏🏾

9/10

This is one among many such painful stories. The very high cost of our inability to make room for each other. 😔

I hope those in power (formal and informal) will learn from history & not squander this chance & instead work to preserve it. 10/10

I am so grateful for Teddy (a friend) who was there through all of this and without whose endless patience and help this couldn’t have happened. He comforted her, held her as she cried and drove all of us back to the camp. 💛