Response Updates

Never Starve Again: This Is Gebre’s Story

Ethiopia Reported by Convoy of Hope

Ethiopia is a hard place to be a kid. Conflict and civil war have displaced 4.2 million people internally, which has made existing challenges much worse. Fifty-five percent of children under 5 years old are malnourished. Recurrent conflict, severe drought, water scarcity, disease outbreaks, and livestock emergencies often overlap and have led to a staggering 10.2 million people living with food insecurity. 

This is where Gebre is growing up. And his family is not untouched by the war. Gebre, his parents, and his older brother were forced to flee for their lives from their home in western Ethiopia, where fighting has led to significant civilian casualties, displacement, and damage to infrastructure. 

“[We] lost everything we had in the process,” Gebre said. “[My parents] had to start all over from nothing, and I saw them struggling to provide for the family.”

Displacement is incredibly hard on families. Loss of their homes and belongings and the ongoing uncertainty of the future leads to immense stress, depression, and anxiety. Gebre’s dad was a tailor before they had to flee, and now he works hard as a day laborer to provide for his family. 

“I starved a lot because we did not have enough food at home,” Gebre said. 

Then Gebre joined Convoy of Hope’s Children’s Feeding program, where he and his friends receive nutritious meals every school day. 

“Eating food before Convoy was a huge assignment to my parents, but now I do not worry about what to eat, and I always enjoy a nice meal that is prepared by loving and caring people from our feeding center.”

And Gebre’s mom joined Convoy’s Women’s Empowerment program, where she learned the skills and gained the materials she needed to start her own business — a successful roadside shop. 

“When we had nothing, my mom gave me her last two birr,” Gebre said. “And God helped her to be included in the Women’s Empowerment program. And now because of Convoy, she has her own small business and much more than two birr.”

“We have never starved again since joining the Convoy program,” Gebre said. “Now we have enough food to eat both at home and here at the center.” 

After all the uncertainty of displacement and conflict, Gebre doesn’t have to wonder where he and his family will get food. Consistent meals have given him the confidence and certainty he needs to plan for his future. He’s working hard in school so he can pass the national exam to graduate junior high and begin his secondary education. He eventually wants to be a doctor. 

In war-torn Ethiopia, hope like this is still possible. And it can come in the form of something as small as a meal.

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