My name is Kebede. I am Erterian, and I was born and grew up in Maesewa, Erteria. I was born in 1985 and went to school up to grade 10. My dad was a soldier and died, so I dropped school after tenth grade.  After my dad died, since I was the firstborn in the family, all the responsibility fell on me. Due to that, I left school and started working different jobs to take care of the family for two years. When I grew up, I joined the military. First I was assigned to a place called Wiha. After four months in Wiha, they took us to Sawa. There, I finished military training and was assigned to another place called Asmbal (or Keru). This is where I started my military life. 

In the military, they assigned us to different places. Once I was assigned to a place near the border of Sudan and Erteria. Using this opportunity, I fled to Sudan and went to  Shegrea Refugee Camp. The reason I left my country was to bring a change in my life. Since I am the firstborn in my family and couldn’t support them and change my life living in the military, I took action to go out of the country. When my mom heard this, she sold two pieces of land and came to the place I was. She planned to use the money to cover her trip cost and send me abroad. 

There are three children in my family, I have two younger brothers. So when my mom brought me the idea of sending us out of Africa, I wanted to give priority to my younger brothers. I am older than them and a bit more able to face challenges in life. Especially the last brother who was in Eretria, he was young and worried a lot. My other brother was in Dubai. So we agreed to look for a good life first for them. Now my two brothers are in the USA.  Sending them there was not easy and simple. They have gone through different difficulties and different ways. My middle brother got married and is living a good life. But the youngest brother is addicted to different things and not living good life. It has been thirteen years since he left and had no connection with us until he called recently. My mom is living here with me. My other brother supports her. I am now married and have three children. No one is supporting me. With the help of God, wherever I go, I work and afford my family. Even here I have my own job. 

In March 2009, after I left for Sudan, I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior in Shegerab Refugee Camp. The reason I accepted Jesus Christ was while I was in the military in Asewa, one of my closest friends who drank and ate with me, accepted Jesus Christ, and his life was totally changed. When I saw that, I was jealous of him since I had gone through all of life’s struggles and hardships with him. So to live a changed life like him, I believed in Jesus. Living in the Sagara Refugee Camp in Sudan I didn’t face as much of a challenge because of my faith. We had good fellowship and believers helped me to go to Khartoum. I stayed there for a year and planned to go to Israel. I wanted to go to Israel to change my life. According to the information I got, many people went there to change their life; buy a house, and land, and get money. 

As I have mentioned above, since I am responsible for family, the priority in life is living a changed life and changing family. Unfortunately, I started the trip to Israel without consulting my family and getting enough money. Our trip to Israel was via the desert of Saini. Ten of us traveled together but unfortunately, we were caught and they put us in jail there in Saini. They asked us to pay almost $3000 and unless we paid, they would not release us. I expected my brother who lived in Italy to help me but he told me to let them do as they wanted. My mom sold everything she had and sent the money. We started the trip from Khartoum and it took us 10 days by car to arrive from Saini to the border of Israel. In the prison, which is made of iron steel, we were about 64 people there. We didn’t get enough food to eat. They give food once and it is very small. I stayed two months there until my mom sent the money. It was such a hard time in life. They only gave us wheat flour. Then we make it and put a little oil in it. The reason why they did that was to get us to pay our money and send us away. Even if you pay them they beat you a lot, especially the newcomers. They want you to leave the place as soon as possible. 

After two months, out of sixty-four people, eight of us were able to pay the money and they released us. Then they took to the border of Israel. They took us there during the night and we arrived there at 11 pm. They told us there were Israelite and Egyptian soldiers there but there was a 100-meter space, and the rest was fenced. They told us to run in that open place. But it was all false. When we ran, Israel police shot and killed one of us who was called Abidi and we were caught. Then they took us to a place called Roamani in Egypt and put us in prison and we stayed there for four months. When we were there, embassy people came and told us where to go. They asked me to go to Eretria or Ethiopia. I chose to go to Ethiopia. Thus, I came here to Ethiopia in September 2010 and went to a refugee camp in Adishadish in the Tigray region. Since 2010, I have been in refugee camps. 

Life in the camp and being an immigrant is always difficult. It makes you always dependent even though you can manage and help yourself. It darkened my life. I don’t wish this life for anyone. But as a Christian, when I think of it, it all happens according to the will of God. This is our second refugee camp, first, it was in Tigray and now we are here in Gondar. When we lived in Tigray, everybody worshiped and believed what he wanted and there was no suffering and challenge because of what you believe. All Protestants, Catholics, and Muslims, we all got a piece of land to build worship houses and live in peace. But this place, Alemwach, is very difficult. There were Christians in this place about 25 years ago but the local community bombed their house and chased them out. The community doesn’t want protestant believers to live here. So far we haven’t gotten a piece of land to build a house to worship God. Not only that, we bury dead bodies by taking them to Gondar. Though we go through all of this we are very happy in the Lord. Christianity is above all suffering and difficulties. With the help of God’s Spirit, day to day we get comfort and we get joy.