Voices from Tigray: Selemon, the young boy who lost so much
A 9-year-old boy who once had a passion for reading and writing, now a shell of his former self as he struggles with trauma and severe hunger.
A few years ago, Selemon’s life was very different. His parents were both healthy and his teacher says they’d be described as a ‘middle income’ family. Selemon was able to focus on the things he enjoyed, and often spent his time playing and laughing with his friends. All things you would want for a young boy.
All that changed with the onslaught of a two-year war that devastated Tigray in Ethiopia, where Selemon lives. The dreadful impact of the conflict took its toll on his father, and he suffered a mental breakdown. His father is largely absent now and isn’t able to help the family in the periods he does return home. This would be heartbreaking enough for Selemon’s family even without the added trauma of conflict, drought and hunger. Having lost the support of the husband she knew, his mother is left with no income, and “nothing to support and help bring up Selemon and the rest of the family," the young boy’s teacher explains.
It’s distressing to hear about the impact this situation is having on nine-year-old Selemon. His teacher says: “He always gets sick. He even has a skin disease, which I think is a symptom of hunger. His family are one of the poorest, the father’s condition has [brought them to] crisis so they don’t have anything.”
With no food at home, Selemon comes to school without eating anything and sits in class feeling hungry, instead of being able to focus on the lessons. He used to be bold and active in class, whereas now, he often seems to get confused when he’s asked a question.
His passion was always reading and writing before. He said school was important because it taught him to do those things. But even those modest hobbies have been made harder because he lacks the resources to buy exercise books and pencils to do something as simple as writing down a story on a piece of paper.
These challenges are seen throughout his school community. There are around 300 children who should be here but don’t currently attend. Some are working, others begging, and we heard that some tried to emigrate to different countries and died on the way. Even the teachers started to leave because the enrolment levels got so low. The school used to run two sessions a day for learners – now they just about manage one.
There is a classroom in the centre of the school yard, built by the community several years ago. Once the proud symbol of their belief in the power of education, it now lies damaged, its walls collapsing from the force of a shell explosion nearby.
The past few years have stolen so much from Selemon. Mary’s Meals desperately wants to reach his community and start serving meals to the children in his primary school. Despite the harm that has been done to them, they haven’t lost all hope. In fact, when Mary’s Meals’ representatives recently visited the school for just a few hours, 15 children came to enroll. Such is the hope for a feeding programme here.
We know the levels of hunger are desperate, and the need for consistent and nutritious school meals is huge. We know the positive impact our school feeding programme would have on hunger and family circumstances and health and children’s ability to concentrate, as well as the level of hope in the community. But when Selemon is asked what difference it might make to his life, he gives the simplest reason of all.
“It would make me happy”, he says.
