Dendir, Ethiopia

“I was employed by Ethiopian Airlines for more than twenty-five years of its seventy-year history. I was very proud of being part of an airline that brings the world closer together by sharing and exchanging valuable social and cultural assets across international communities. I fled my country after being persecuted by high-ranking airline executives who were following the agenda of the Ethiopian government to terminate all employees who did not belong to the ruling political party.
Being a survivor means something different for every one of us. It is someone who has escaped persecution from their country and a truth speaker who has the voice of others that are less fortunate. I sought asylum in the United States in September 2016, expecting to receive an interview with the US asylum office shortly after my arrival. I have had five years of anxiously waiting for an interview and still not received a date.
I chose the projected image of Ethiopian Airlines because it represents to me, both the beauty of bringing people together, and the bad practices of Ethiopia’s political leaders and the top management of the airlines, who were responsible for the torture I suffered. I hope that in the future Ethiopia will be free of the discrimination against people because of their ethnic group.”