On My Birthday this Year, Tigray is On Mind
Donation protected
I was hoping to celebrate my 40th birthday with a mini vacation with family and friends before we were hit with a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. As if COVID life was not enough, in November of last year, a war started in Tigray, northern region of Ethiopia where I was born and raised until I moved to Canada. I am usually the type of person that allows God to take care of the things I cannot control, but it has been very difficult dealing with the stress and anxiety cause by this war.
The first two months of the war were unbearable, not just for my family but everyone who was affected. We had no way of knowing whether our family members were dead or alive. I have no words to express the emotions we were going through, and I would not wish that on anyone. I can write pages on what has happened in the past five months to the innocent people of the Tigray region. Evidence of atrocities against civilians, attacks on refugee camps, mass shootings, lootings, forced displacement and sexual abuse have been published by many credible news outlets from around the world. More than 2 million children are at risk of man made starvation.
This is not the first time the region has experienced a war. As a child, my family and I lived through another war in the region, we used caves to hide from airstrikes, moved around a lot hiding during the day and traveling on foot at night, but I don’t remember being hungry.
There have been reported cases of children dying of this man-made starvation. I can't imagine being a mother in Tigray right now. In addition to the pain and suffering they are enduring as women, they have to watch their kids cry all day long because they are hungry, thirsty, and can't do anything about it. As a mother, I can’t imagine not being able to feed my little boys. At the beginning of the COVID shutdown, I was panicking when the stores were running low on milk or I couldn't find a formula for my newborn.
I wish I can go feed every hungry child, help heal every woman & girl that is a victim of rape, provide insulin & other medications to those who need it to stay alive. Since I can’t do that, I figure helping one or two family members is a start. So, for my 40th birthday, my wish is that you all help me welcome it by helping me raise money for the victims of the war in Tigray by donating whatever you can. To put things in perspective $3 US dollars can help buy insulin and $100 can feed a family for about a month.
100% of your donations will go to:
- Provide food for a family
- Provide insulin and available medication
With the help of my family in the region, we will select families in extreme needs, including Eritrean refugees currently sheltered in the Mekelle (Tigray) area.
This is the first time I am doing something like this but there is nothing more I would like for my birthday than to help. We are blessed to be afforded the rights to our basic needs of food, water, security, and safety. Help a family in need by donating a minimum of $5. If not, that's okay too, we welcome your prayers.
https://time.com/5950244/un-crisis-ethiopia-tigray/
https://www.voanews.com/africa/un-finds-destroyed-deserted-eritrean-refugee-camps-northern-tigray?amp
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-56603022
https://msf.or.ke/en/magazine/ethiopia-tigrays-cities-fill-displaced-people-fleeing-insecurity-and-need-aid
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/01/world/africa/ethiopia-tigray-sexual-assault.html
https://www.voanews.com/episode/tigray-ethiopia-conflict-humanitarian-crisis-4644676
The first two months of the war were unbearable, not just for my family but everyone who was affected. We had no way of knowing whether our family members were dead or alive. I have no words to express the emotions we were going through, and I would not wish that on anyone. I can write pages on what has happened in the past five months to the innocent people of the Tigray region. Evidence of atrocities against civilians, attacks on refugee camps, mass shootings, lootings, forced displacement and sexual abuse have been published by many credible news outlets from around the world. More than 2 million children are at risk of man made starvation.
This is not the first time the region has experienced a war. As a child, my family and I lived through another war in the region, we used caves to hide from airstrikes, moved around a lot hiding during the day and traveling on foot at night, but I don’t remember being hungry.
There have been reported cases of children dying of this man-made starvation. I can't imagine being a mother in Tigray right now. In addition to the pain and suffering they are enduring as women, they have to watch their kids cry all day long because they are hungry, thirsty, and can't do anything about it. As a mother, I can’t imagine not being able to feed my little boys. At the beginning of the COVID shutdown, I was panicking when the stores were running low on milk or I couldn't find a formula for my newborn.
I wish I can go feed every hungry child, help heal every woman & girl that is a victim of rape, provide insulin & other medications to those who need it to stay alive. Since I can’t do that, I figure helping one or two family members is a start. So, for my 40th birthday, my wish is that you all help me welcome it by helping me raise money for the victims of the war in Tigray by donating whatever you can. To put things in perspective $3 US dollars can help buy insulin and $100 can feed a family for about a month.
100% of your donations will go to:
- Provide food for a family
- Provide insulin and available medication
With the help of my family in the region, we will select families in extreme needs, including Eritrean refugees currently sheltered in the Mekelle (Tigray) area.
This is the first time I am doing something like this but there is nothing more I would like for my birthday than to help. We are blessed to be afforded the rights to our basic needs of food, water, security, and safety. Help a family in need by donating a minimum of $5. If not, that's okay too, we welcome your prayers.
https://time.com/5950244/un-crisis-ethiopia-tigray/
https://www.voanews.com/africa/un-finds-destroyed-deserted-eritrean-refugee-camps-northern-tigray?amp
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-56603022
https://msf.or.ke/en/magazine/ethiopia-tigrays-cities-fill-displaced-people-fleeing-insecurity-and-need-aid
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/01/world/africa/ethiopia-tigray-sexual-assault.html
https://www.voanews.com/episode/tigray-ethiopia-conflict-humanitarian-crisis-4644676
Organizer
Senait Mellse
Organizer
McKinney, TX