“I can’t wait to see my family. I miss them so much”
A young Ethiopian migrant narrates her ordeal trying to seek a better life for her family
It is not always the case that children are privileged enough to live with their families. Thousands of children in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia migrate yearly to neighboring countries in search of work to support their families.
Tsehaynesh Shibiru (12) is the third in a family of five children – a brother and three sisters. Born and raised in Yirga Caffe town, she attended Grade 2 at Yirga Caffe Primary School.
When the government decided to close schools to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Tsehaynesh left her hometown and headed to neighboring Kenya via Moyale border town. Like many children facing hardship in life, Tsehaynesh thought migrating to another country would earn her enough money to change the fortunes of her poor family.
“As much I wanted to leave and change their lives for the better, it was difficult to leave my family, especially my father whom I love so much,” she says.
Upon arrival in Moyale, Tsehaynesh met a stranger who was known to facilitate jobs in Kenya. He helped her cross the border and arranged for her to be hired as a maid in Mandera town with a salary of 2,500 Ethiopian birr per month.
“My misery started as soon as I reached Mandera. Every day, I would wake up at 4 am to sweep the compound, after which I would clean the living room. I repeated these chores three times a day. In between, I would wash household utensils and clothes and perform many duties,” she says.
She adds, “My employer gave me food left over by the family. If I woke up late or accidentally broke something in the house, I would be beaten.”
“One day, I decided to leave the house when my employer’s children started to beat me. I found myself in the middle of nowhere. The police arrested and detained me for nineteen days. As if that was not trouble enough, my employer accused me of stealing property from the house with the cruel intention of denying me my two months’ salary of 5,000 Ethiopian Birr. Finally, the police deported me to Moyale in Ethiopia,” she says.
Tsehaynesh is happy to be back home and is currently in a COVID-19 quarantine center in Moyale. It’s been eight days since she arrived at the center.
“I can’t wait to see my family especially my father. I miss him so much.”
UNICEF is trucking water to the center and has installed taps, in addition to providing sanitation, health supplies, and personal protective equipment.
“We have unlimited supply of water in the center,” says Tsehaynesh.
Borena Zone, in which Moyale lies, is among points of entry in the Oromia Region that have been prioritized with COVID-19 basic services for Ethiopians returning from other countries.
The Moyale quarantine centre so far has had about 500 returnees undergoing the mandatory 14-day quarantine. Tsehaynesh and her 20-year-old friend Nahima, whom she met at the center, have had two medical check-ups, thanks to a temporary clinic supported by UNICEF.
“For young girls like me, migration is unsafe. I have learned a lot in this short period, and I have vowed to never do it again,” she says. “I know that I must apologize to my family for my wrongdoing. When schools reopen, I would like to resume my education and make up for the trust I lost with my family.”
