In their search for a better life and a better future, young people in Ethiopia will attempt to cross land or sea to migrate to other countries. However, this effort frequently leads to a tragic end as vulnerable youth can fall prey to traffickers or other dangers on their route.
“We hear news of death from those who have left for Saudi Arabia and Yemen,” said the Reverend Negasi Yohannes of the Ethiopian Catholic Eparchy of Adigrat. “And that news is still not bad enough to persuade young people to stay in their home country.”
Father Yohannes works with the local church to educate young people and to encourage them to invest in their future in Ethiopia.
“People’s ignorance is the root cause of these problems,” he said. As such, it is important for “young people to grow with God’s teachings and wisdom,” he added.
Hear from Father Yohannes in this video. Then, read more about the drivers of the migration crisis in the Horn of Africa and the efforts to stem this problem in “Drawn by Illusion” in the September 2023 edition of ONE.