Thursday, November 3, 2011

The Horrors of my Youth
My youth was full of mystery as well as great conflict. This conflict that I refer too was a war that took place between two great nations- Eritrea and Ethiopia. This war took place from the year 1998 until the year 2000. Eretria and Ethiopia are sibling nations. The war started because the Eritrean government attempted to seize Ethiopian territory. The purpose of one’s government is to protect one’s own people. Thus, in response to the actions of the Eritrean government the people of Ethiopia declared war upon this rogue nation. The war left a deep and everlasting impression upon my life and the lives of my fellow Ethiopians. This conflict played a major role in shaping my life because taking away my father,our property, and our foodsupply.
One of the way that the war affected me was the loss of my father. His loss affected my family and me greatly. During the war, the Ethiopian government declared that all Eritrean people had to leave Ethiopia. Unfortunately, my dad was Eritrean and he was quickly deported back to across the border. My emotions kept me crying weeks on end. My father was my best friend, head of our household, and the bread winner. Without this great man who was the foundation of our live my family began to fall apart. Ethiopian culture is based up on a strong paternal influence. Without a male role modal in our house, my family started to suffer.
Another way that I was affected me was through loss of our property. Ethiopia is the state based up on the principle that the male’s rights supersede the right of females. When my father was deported, our business was seized by the Ethiopian government because there was no male in the household to manage it. My mother was upset over the loss of her partner and best friend. Also, she tried hard to keep everything together. Unfortunately, these events were out of her control. Not only did we lose our father, we also lost our home and business. My remainig family, which consisted of my mother and sister, was lucky enough to move in with our grandmother.
Finally, we suffered from lack of food. During the war, lack of food was common thing. Store owners were scared to open their businesses for the fear of the continued fighting outside the streets. Due to food shortage, the price of the food was very expensive, so we couldn’t afford to buy food. One day, my mother and I went out to the store to purchase supplies. While us walking through the street, I saw several dead bodies, and I began to scream. After that, we had to come back home without purchasing anything. As a result, we were starving from the lack of food. We were also terrified for our survival.
The war between Ethiopia and Eritrea had a major impact on my life as well as many other Ethiopians. I was terrified by the event that was occurring all around me. Because of everything that happened to me during the war, I’m a different person. Things would have been better if my father had been there with us. However, these experiences helped me to become strong person that I am today. I believe that a lots of things happen to our lives, good and bad. If bad things happen to us, we should work hard to overcome our obstacles, and learn from them.

6 comments:

  1. What a worst war is it that divide your father from your family. Really felt sad to read your essay. It is not possible to spend single a day without main member of family.

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  2. Zi Zi, I am sorry to hear that.It was a very sad story.It was very hard for your family to live without a leader.

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  3. oh, i am sorry to know that.your eassy is really good, but make me feel sad.Your experience is unforgettable, however, hope your life will be better and better.

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  4. Zizi, I am sorry for your loss.
    Your essay has a strong description and good word choice. I hope the best for you.

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  5. I am so sorry to hear about your loss. But life is still have many good things, you have just to keep going.
    you have a very touchable essay

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  6. your essay is sad and you described everything in a way that reader that visualize it. is sad that you lost you dad. war is never a good thing and countries have to avoid it.

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