L.T., Ethiopia

“I have been victimised by the Government of Ethiopia because of my ethnicity, my profession, and my political views.
My escape out of Ethiopia was not easy because the airports are highly monitored by government security. I had to pay someone working at the airport to assist my safe exit.
I arrived in the USA in June 2018. It was not easy integrating into a new culture. I missed my loved ones and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. The challenges that I faced in my home country have now become new and different. I am grateful for being alive and live for my future.
The projected photograph is of my home in the Lege Tafo Woreda area, just outside of Addis Ababa. My neighbor took this picture secretly on the 24th of February 2019, while the local authority demolished it. A home is everything. There is nowhere that is more comfortable or peaceful on earth than your own home. Whenever I look at this photo, I picture the authorities trying to break the spirit of the people. But a home is nothing without people, just a hollow shell. The photo reminds me of how conflicts that are about ethnicity are an injustice, and an abuse of irresponsible authorities.”