Helping the Hurting After War in Tigray

Years of war devastated the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia from 2020-22. Families were shattered and their futures were left uncertain. Samrawit was one of the countless women struggling against the odds to keep themselves and their children alive.

It wasn’t always like this. Before the brutal conflict reached their beautiful region of the country, Samrawit and her three young children had seldom known days filled with fear and the gnawing pangs of hunger.

It was only a few years ago that she and her husband were operating a successful clothing business and had enough income to meet their children’s needs and to provide for the couple’s ageing parents and grandparents. The work even left them enough money beyond that to extend a helping hand to people in their community who were struggling to get by.

Everything about their lives changed in 2020 with the onset of the war.

Their once stable world crumbled beneath them, leaving Samrawit grappling with a reality she could never have imagined. Her husband was severely beaten and enemy forces cruelly took him away from her. The burden of protecting and providing for their kids was left on her shoulders.

“The women watched the horrors of war unfold before their eyes—but they couldn’t react,” said Rachel Chadalavada, a Samaritan’s Purse programme development officer in Ethiopia. “They didn’t have the luxury of processing anything they witnessed because if the women broke apart, who would take care of their children?”

Samrawit pushed through unimaginable pain while trying to appear strong for her three children.

As the months turned into years, Samrawit grew weary and her heart began to sink as threats of starvation loomed over her children.

“I was thinking that if I didn’t get any kind of food for my kids and myself, I would commit suicide,” Samrawit said.

It was in this darkened state that God connected her with Samaritan’s Purse. At the height of the conflict, when it seemed that no help would come, our team began to care for Samrawit and her children.

“I was unable to nurse my daughter, so they gave me milk. They gave food and other items, like a sleeping mat. No words can explain how much I appreciate them for taking care of me,” she said.

Healing Beyond the Surface

Although she was relieved to provide meals for her children, Samrawit’s needs reached further than the physical pain of hunger.

Like thousands of other women, Samrawit even today battles physical pain mixed with overwhelming shame and humiliation from the experiences she endured during the war. With their husbands, fathers, and brothers at the frontlines or taken captive, countless women and children were left vulnerable and suffered sexual violence, torture, and abuse.

Most people in Tigray don’t have the resources to begin working through the emotional trauma that they’ve suffered. But, Samaritan’s Purse and our partnering churches are uniquely equipped to come alongside them and bring hope.

“We’ve had the opportunity to provide trauma recovery programmes and to do them from a Biblical perspective,” said one Samaritan’s Purse staff member serving in Ethiopia. “We can say God loves you and He has a plan for you. He’s not forgotten you or abandoned you, and we’re here to care for you and to provide for you because of the love that Christ has for you.”

Samrawit and many others like her are benefiting from our Biblically-based trauma healing programme. Counsellors, who have lived through the war themselves, equip others to process the trauma and to understand that they’re not alone or forgotten by God. More than 1,600 men and women have gone through these intensive courses.

Samrawit said it was comforting to her that our counsellors had been through trauma themselves and could understand the suffering that she and her family had endured at the hands of such violent men. “The staff are really supportive, disciplined, and dedicated to individuals like me,” she said. She said she has gained renewed strength through the spiritual strength that the counsellors exhibited, especially after enduring their own heartbreaking experiences.

Creating a New Beginning

With the help of these hope-filled fellow sufferers, Samrawit was able journey courageously through the rest of the programme, which included livelihoods training to help provide for her children and rebuild their lives. Individuals who had previous business experience were given additional training and a cash stipend from Samaritan’s Purse to start their own small enterprise.

Samrawit was eager to provide for her family again, and her past business experience with her husband made her a natural fit for this new opportunity. With the cash stipend, Samrawit was able to purchase product and begin selling various clothing items, shoes, and other basic necessities at a local market. Now, the new business is providing a source of income and a renewed sense of promise for their future.

“Life before I was introduced to Samaritan’s Purse compared to after is completely different,” she said. “Previously, it was very difficult for me to take care of my kids, but after I met Samaritan’s Purse—thanks to God—I am generating an income and my kids are still alive. They’re not hungry anymore”

Samrawit’s gratitude for our help throughout her difficult years has turned to compassion and a desire to help others from what God has provided through her new venture.

“I learnt how to support others from Samaritan’s Purse,” she said. “Now, I’m generating a daily income and I will not keep it for myself. Rather, I will give to someone else in need.”

Join us in prayer for the families in Ethiopia, like Samrawit and her kids, who have faced unimaginable difficulties. Pray God continues to use the work of Samaritan’s Purse to lift up His Name in Ethiopia. Pray that as our staff demonstrate God’s love in tangible ways that many will place their trust in Him.