M.T., Ethiopia

“I grew up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where I attended law school, then completed a master’s degree in ‘Human Rights’ in Europe. I heard that the kinds of human rights abuse I was studying in school were happening in my own country. I wrote articles about torture and other atrocities carried out by the Ethiopian government against journalists and other dissidents that were published in European magazines. I always used a pen name because I was terrified of the consequences if I was identified.

When I returned home to Addis, government spies started following me and sending me text messages like: “You should focus on your own life and stop criticizing the government or we will come after you.” I was detained and persecuted for a few days in 2017 which made me frightened about what the government would do to me next. That is when I decided to leave for the United States. I applied for asylum in 2017 and have been waiting five years for the USCIS Asylum Division to interview me.

The projected picture is of St. Michael’s Church in Addis. Ever since I was a young girl, I always found comfort in this church. I have good memories of friends I made there, praying in the church on Sundays and singing in the choir. Whenever I feel insecure and depressed, I rely on St. Michael and the spirit of the church to protect me. St. Michael and the church are inside my soul. They protected me when I was being followed in Ethiopia and have helped me face challenges in the United States. St. Michael gives me hope for my own life and the future of Ethiopia.”