thank you very much I think I feel like
I’m really far from the home this is
really a long journey for me I’m here
today to share my story with you which
is based on education and I’ve seen in
my life education is a powerful tool you
can use to change impossible things to
be possible and before I take you to my
story I want to explain a little bit
about my area this is Southwest Ethiopia
and you see on the map Omo River is 400
miles long and that circle is carrot
right that’s my tribe and there is lower
Omo River there is 8 different tribes
living there estimated maybe 200
thousand people living there and these
people have been there for maybe many
centuries 100 hundred or 500 we don’t
know exactly they have been there for
many years and you know these people are
pastoralist and the National Geographic
called
the last frontier of Africa and these
people as you see most of them are they
farming on Omo River they plant the
crops that the way they live and they
have cattles and gods you know the young
boys they herding God for their fathers
and girls are fetching water and
collecting firewood that’s the life in
Alma there is no any civilization it’s
really isolated for many years and
there’s no clean water no medical care
no electricity so I grew up in this
place this is my parent house and this
is my village I born here is still my
parent live there this is
it look like even today and when I was
maybe from 30 to 35 years ago the
missionaries come to this village to my
village and they ask about education and
everyone said what does education means
you know and the missionaries have to
explain them
education means pen and pepper there is
no word even education in my language
and you know they explain if you send
your side used your children to school
you will learn they will learn something
different and they will bring food and
some resources and the Indies you know
no one will understand because the
elders they don’t want to send there
sure you know children they don’t want
to send their girls because the girls
are mostly the resource of you know for
dowry so when they do the marriage there
is no money so they have to pay the
cattles so and the young boys are very
important for the community they are the
one of like protecting as soldiers or
herding their father’s cattle and just
my father hearing the missioner is
saying he simply believed in them he
said ok I will send my son so here is my
father when I was 9 years old my father
said well I’m going to send you to
school the only thing he told me is be
strong you going to walk 60 miles far
away every year maybe 4 or 6 times so we
start walking with my father to the
missionary school and maybe you know I
go there for three month and come back
visit my family it was really tough time
it’s very difficult and there is a
conflict among the tribe there is many
ak-47 there you know it’s dangerous when
I was 15 years old I was in the village
walking and suddenly I was watching
there is five or six people they come
and they grab two-year child and I was
not sure I was looking and they grab in
they run the mother is trying to protect
her child and the child is crying and
the mother is crying and I say what is
this
and they separated the mother the child
and they ran away to the river because
the villages are on the bank of the
river and I said I want to find out who
I’m going to ask my mother so I went to
my mother and that I approached her and
I asked ma what’s happened to that child
I saw some people grabbed the child in
they ran away to the river and my mom
say they she doesn’t want to tell me and
I said please I want to know I want to
know and I pushed her and I ain’t you
four before she started telling the
story
she explained me she warned me she said
this is a secret no one talking only the
older people was talking I warn you if I
tell this story can you promise me not
to tell to other people I said yes I
said yes because I want to know that is
really terrifying moment for me but I
was not sure I want to know and my
mother said in this culture in your
tribe in hammer and Kara other three
tribes which are around 130,000 people
they practice a call
minge means curse Lali some babies they
born they called a born curse means
bring disease sickness famine if they
keep those kids in the tribe so for
example they see the teases when the
teeth appear on the top before the
bottom did they kill the child right
away and when their girl is pregnant
before the marriage they wait for nine
months and they kill when they right
away so they kill the baby and when the
woman’s they want to have a child they
have to get a blessing three types of
blessing from elders if they miss one
the baby is killed the way they kill Ali
as you see today two years child they
drown in the water they left in the bush
the wild animals can’t eat they left in
the Hat they they will starve there or
some time they put dirt in the mouth and
completely not breathing and they die
and I was shocked I would start crying
in front of my mom and my mom say well
this is a this is a year culture soon
you’re 15 in three four four years
you’re going to kill your child your
friends is going to kill their child so
you are the one will do the same thing
as you see as you watch today I said
that changed my life and I said wow I’m
going to kill my child and my friend is
going to kill my child and I said I can
use my education and I one day I can
come back
even the to go to school is difficult I
can go back if I’m lucky I can make it
I’m lucky I’m here today in America so
and then I went to school and I get
education it was very difficult time for
Mira but every time I was talked
thinking when I sleep I think about that
child I think about my two years two two
older sisters those I had never seen my
mother will mention you have two older
sisters
those are killed by minge and I never
see them and I was thinking about them
and thinking about the child was killed
in 2008 I become older maybe 23 24 and I
said this is a time I have to talk with
elder I sit down for the first time with
elders and they start saying
minge is blessing not curse and I was
challenging elders I said you are my
father’s I respect you we have rich
tradition culture body adornment dancing
ritualistic ceremony bull jumping we
have to keep those cultures but killing
is not acceptable as I said to them now
you killing the children give it to me
let me be a river let me be a bush let
me be a heart I can take these kids out
of the tribe may the curse can follow me
you guys be okay in this tribe so and
then at the same
I convinced in my own father because my
father said all I let you you know you
have to go to the government you know
your friends went to the government go
and get money there you get this job I
said no no no no you were different you
said you decided me to send me to school
so I have to save the lives I have to
find a way how can I save my friends
children how can I stop this practice so
when I’m talking maybe I was talking
because it was very dangerous even for
me when I was talking for 3 months so
this man ballet father he knew that I’m
going to convince the elders it was big
big revolution I encourage all young
people’s I say this is our moment this
is our time be with me
less less challenge less let’s convince
our fathers and this man hide it hurts
her child in the other side of the river
for 3 months I was talking for 3 months
continuously and later he heard about me
and I sent some of my friends to bring
ballet to the other side of the river
and I rescued for the first time badly
so my wife and I we live 140 miles from
the from the trial and we have small
rent house in gingka and we bring ballet
to our house and I say this is a
beginning let’s say we started we can
rent and other houses and I will ask my
friends so I know John Rowe he’s a
photographer from California I know as a
friends Tyler Moore from America summit
so some of my friends in Germany I said
I send it email I said I need help i
need help I’m going to save these kids
and now I have kids in CC
many children you know and I love them
so I you know I you know I just I love
them and after I saved six kids
the elders sit down again another
meeting they said no more taking
children if you take the children we’re
going to kill it so they said this is a
big resistance for me and I you know I
have to go with the government and
government
I also supported me was I said I need
help I need young people now they go
into so we were talking for maybe more
than five six months
they killed 11 kids in my village and
you know I still remember I flew to
America here to get some support and I
was you know and then you know currently
I’m in Hampshire College in
Massachusetts and I was there and my
wife called me one morning she said
lolly one child born in court oh and the
elders didn’t allow the your friend to
feed her you know because the government
said you have to keep the children but
these people need education and two
weeks the child was only fed water only
water for two weeks and I called my
staff I said go and save his life
go and they went there and they brought
since I I named it the name since I miss
restructure the new life so when they
said my wife’s a lolly if you see the
picture you will cry the whole day and
they sent me this picture in the morning
and I see this I was crying the whole
day and I said this must be stopped
so I went in the summer and I decided
and I called John Rowe I said I want to
go there for three months I want to work
for three months without rest and I did
every day in the desert talking with
elders of the Kings since a is now she’s
like that
no drama nothing she’s healthy thank you
thank you
and after that I said for the king
please let’s come to the decision
because we don’t want to see this
children like this this is this is
unacceptable and the elders the kings
they come to a decision I’m really you
know I really want to thank my elders in
Ethiopia while I’m talking there so the
kings and some special elders say we
have a solution because I told them find
give me solution let’s change it you
ancestor killed many people now we can
find we can do some different way and
they said ok Lally we’re going to change
the culture and as you see the lamp
there that’s the way they stopped it
minge so they bring the lamp in the
minge ancient door they killed many
children that door and john wrote all
the government people i bring everybody
July 14 2012 the elders sitting and they
said our ancestors the one died the one
did that we did please the nature
forgive us for killing the children we
understand what Lally said now we’re
going to stop the killing the children
forever and we were going to slaughter
this ship or lamp as you know sacrif
occasion for the children and we have
when you slaughter this lamp please
bring us blessing or red bless our land
don’t curse us because they have a fear
that if they don’t kill the children
they get curse so they give you this
land and the slaughter and they put it
on the fire and they start eating and
they say please train come
Branka blessing for us for our land
suddenly in five minutes I see on them
on this mountain the mountain is ten
miles from the from my village and there
is a tornado and wind coming dark and
it’s like tone are big we never see
something like that and the rain is
coming from Riverside and in just five
minutes
it traveled five minutes and then
Everywhere’s of rain and gas turn out
everyone is riding we jump it in the car
everything and rent for one hour and
stop and flat it everywhere and people
said wow this is the symbolism of how
they stopped it because the nature
listen to them and they say Lila you are
right now we can keep the children today
they keep us three children in the tribe
and but the other tribe is still killing
but this summer I’m going to stop the
other tribe but now now they they they
keep three children this is the children
I saved
I save 37 children those would be killed
so as I see always they come to me I say
Oh dad everyone and I love them very
much as you see everyone is love them
it’s amazing they are in school
sixteen are in school and twenty-one is
still under diapers we have nannies
working every day 30 people working
cleaning cooking changing diapers
sending them to school these children
are the future for my tribe and then we
send the iPads they’re learning iPads
all these things and it’s really amazing
and for me this is the beginning of my
story it’s not finished and me I can do
my part but these are the seven children
and my children can do can use their
education as a powerful tool or key to
change the poverty they can solve the
conflict they can be the next emerging
explorers when they standing here and
they will be the one can invent
to cure HIV they will be the leader or
president or doctors or nurses I really
believe in them
please if you don’t know our website go
to my chat and learn about us and know
about us if you can involve in our
project thank you very much
you
I’m really far from the home this is
really a long journey for me I’m here
today to share my story with you which
is based on education and I’ve seen in
my life education is a powerful tool you
can use to change impossible things to
be possible and before I take you to my
story I want to explain a little bit
about my area this is Southwest Ethiopia
and you see on the map Omo River is 400
miles long and that circle is carrot
right that’s my tribe and there is lower
Omo River there is 8 different tribes
living there estimated maybe 200
thousand people living there and these
people have been there for maybe many
centuries 100 hundred or 500 we don’t
know exactly they have been there for
many years and you know these people are
pastoralist and the National Geographic
called
the last frontier of Africa and these
people as you see most of them are they
farming on Omo River they plant the
crops that the way they live and they
have cattles and gods you know the young
boys they herding God for their fathers
and girls are fetching water and
collecting firewood that’s the life in
Alma there is no any civilization it’s
really isolated for many years and
there’s no clean water no medical care
no electricity so I grew up in this
place this is my parent house and this
is my village I born here is still my
parent live there this is
it look like even today and when I was
maybe from 30 to 35 years ago the
missionaries come to this village to my
village and they ask about education and
everyone said what does education means
you know and the missionaries have to
explain them
education means pen and pepper there is
no word even education in my language
and you know they explain if you send
your side used your children to school
you will learn they will learn something
different and they will bring food and
some resources and the Indies you know
no one will understand because the
elders they don’t want to send there
sure you know children they don’t want
to send their girls because the girls
are mostly the resource of you know for
dowry so when they do the marriage there
is no money so they have to pay the
cattles so and the young boys are very
important for the community they are the
one of like protecting as soldiers or
herding their father’s cattle and just
my father hearing the missioner is
saying he simply believed in them he
said ok I will send my son so here is my
father when I was 9 years old my father
said well I’m going to send you to
school the only thing he told me is be
strong you going to walk 60 miles far
away every year maybe 4 or 6 times so we
start walking with my father to the
missionary school and maybe you know I
go there for three month and come back
visit my family it was really tough time
it’s very difficult and there is a
conflict among the tribe there is many
ak-47 there you know it’s dangerous when
I was 15 years old I was in the village
walking and suddenly I was watching
there is five or six people they come
and they grab two-year child and I was
not sure I was looking and they grab in
they run the mother is trying to protect
her child and the child is crying and
the mother is crying and I say what is
this
and they separated the mother the child
and they ran away to the river because
the villages are on the bank of the
river and I said I want to find out who
I’m going to ask my mother so I went to
my mother and that I approached her and
I asked ma what’s happened to that child
I saw some people grabbed the child in
they ran away to the river and my mom
say they she doesn’t want to tell me and
I said please I want to know I want to
know and I pushed her and I ain’t you
four before she started telling the
story
she explained me she warned me she said
this is a secret no one talking only the
older people was talking I warn you if I
tell this story can you promise me not
to tell to other people I said yes I
said yes because I want to know that is
really terrifying moment for me but I
was not sure I want to know and my
mother said in this culture in your
tribe in hammer and Kara other three
tribes which are around 130,000 people
they practice a call
minge means curse Lali some babies they
born they called a born curse means
bring disease sickness famine if they
keep those kids in the tribe so for
example they see the teases when the
teeth appear on the top before the
bottom did they kill the child right
away and when their girl is pregnant
before the marriage they wait for nine
months and they kill when they right
away so they kill the baby and when the
woman’s they want to have a child they
have to get a blessing three types of
blessing from elders if they miss one
the baby is killed the way they kill Ali
as you see today two years child they
drown in the water they left in the bush
the wild animals can’t eat they left in
the Hat they they will starve there or
some time they put dirt in the mouth and
completely not breathing and they die
and I was shocked I would start crying
in front of my mom and my mom say well
this is a this is a year culture soon
you’re 15 in three four four years
you’re going to kill your child your
friends is going to kill their child so
you are the one will do the same thing
as you see as you watch today I said
that changed my life and I said wow I’m
going to kill my child and my friend is
going to kill my child and I said I can
use my education and I one day I can
come back
even the to go to school is difficult I
can go back if I’m lucky I can make it
I’m lucky I’m here today in America so
and then I went to school and I get
education it was very difficult time for
Mira but every time I was talked
thinking when I sleep I think about that
child I think about my two years two two
older sisters those I had never seen my
mother will mention you have two older
sisters
those are killed by minge and I never
see them and I was thinking about them
and thinking about the child was killed
in 2008 I become older maybe 23 24 and I
said this is a time I have to talk with
elder I sit down for the first time with
elders and they start saying
minge is blessing not curse and I was
challenging elders I said you are my
father’s I respect you we have rich
tradition culture body adornment dancing
ritualistic ceremony bull jumping we
have to keep those cultures but killing
is not acceptable as I said to them now
you killing the children give it to me
let me be a river let me be a bush let
me be a heart I can take these kids out
of the tribe may the curse can follow me
you guys be okay in this tribe so and
then at the same
I convinced in my own father because my
father said all I let you you know you
have to go to the government you know
your friends went to the government go
and get money there you get this job I
said no no no no you were different you
said you decided me to send me to school
so I have to save the lives I have to
find a way how can I save my friends
children how can I stop this practice so
when I’m talking maybe I was talking
because it was very dangerous even for
me when I was talking for 3 months so
this man ballet father he knew that I’m
going to convince the elders it was big
big revolution I encourage all young
people’s I say this is our moment this
is our time be with me
less less challenge less let’s convince
our fathers and this man hide it hurts
her child in the other side of the river
for 3 months I was talking for 3 months
continuously and later he heard about me
and I sent some of my friends to bring
ballet to the other side of the river
and I rescued for the first time badly
so my wife and I we live 140 miles from
the from the trial and we have small
rent house in gingka and we bring ballet
to our house and I say this is a
beginning let’s say we started we can
rent and other houses and I will ask my
friends so I know John Rowe he’s a
photographer from California I know as a
friends Tyler Moore from America summit
so some of my friends in Germany I said
I send it email I said I need help i
need help I’m going to save these kids
and now I have kids in CC
many children you know and I love them
so I you know I you know I just I love
them and after I saved six kids
the elders sit down again another
meeting they said no more taking
children if you take the children we’re
going to kill it so they said this is a
big resistance for me and I you know I
have to go with the government and
government
I also supported me was I said I need
help I need young people now they go
into so we were talking for maybe more
than five six months
they killed 11 kids in my village and
you know I still remember I flew to
America here to get some support and I
was you know and then you know currently
I’m in Hampshire College in
Massachusetts and I was there and my
wife called me one morning she said
lolly one child born in court oh and the
elders didn’t allow the your friend to
feed her you know because the government
said you have to keep the children but
these people need education and two
weeks the child was only fed water only
water for two weeks and I called my
staff I said go and save his life
go and they went there and they brought
since I I named it the name since I miss
restructure the new life so when they
said my wife’s a lolly if you see the
picture you will cry the whole day and
they sent me this picture in the morning
and I see this I was crying the whole
day and I said this must be stopped
so I went in the summer and I decided
and I called John Rowe I said I want to
go there for three months I want to work
for three months without rest and I did
every day in the desert talking with
elders of the Kings since a is now she’s
like that
no drama nothing she’s healthy thank you
thank you
and after that I said for the king
please let’s come to the decision
because we don’t want to see this
children like this this is this is
unacceptable and the elders the kings
they come to a decision I’m really you
know I really want to thank my elders in
Ethiopia while I’m talking there so the
kings and some special elders say we
have a solution because I told them find
give me solution let’s change it you
ancestor killed many people now we can
find we can do some different way and
they said ok Lally we’re going to change
the culture and as you see the lamp
there that’s the way they stopped it
minge so they bring the lamp in the
minge ancient door they killed many
children that door and john wrote all
the government people i bring everybody
July 14 2012 the elders sitting and they
said our ancestors the one died the one
did that we did please the nature
forgive us for killing the children we
understand what Lally said now we’re
going to stop the killing the children
forever and we were going to slaughter
this ship or lamp as you know sacrif
occasion for the children and we have
when you slaughter this lamp please
bring us blessing or red bless our land
don’t curse us because they have a fear
that if they don’t kill the children
they get curse so they give you this
land and the slaughter and they put it
on the fire and they start eating and
they say please train come
Branka blessing for us for our land
suddenly in five minutes I see on them
on this mountain the mountain is ten
miles from the from my village and there
is a tornado and wind coming dark and
it’s like tone are big we never see
something like that and the rain is
coming from Riverside and in just five
minutes
it traveled five minutes and then
Everywhere’s of rain and gas turn out
everyone is riding we jump it in the car
everything and rent for one hour and
stop and flat it everywhere and people
said wow this is the symbolism of how
they stopped it because the nature
listen to them and they say Lila you are
right now we can keep the children today
they keep us three children in the tribe
and but the other tribe is still killing
but this summer I’m going to stop the
other tribe but now now they they they
keep three children this is the children
I saved
I save 37 children those would be killed
so as I see always they come to me I say
Oh dad everyone and I love them very
much as you see everyone is love them
it’s amazing they are in school
sixteen are in school and twenty-one is
still under diapers we have nannies
working every day 30 people working
cleaning cooking changing diapers
sending them to school these children
are the future for my tribe and then we
send the iPads they’re learning iPads
all these things and it’s really amazing
and for me this is the beginning of my
story it’s not finished and me I can do
my part but these are the seven children
and my children can do can use their
education as a powerful tool or key to
change the poverty they can solve the
conflict they can be the next emerging
explorers when they standing here and
they will be the one can invent
to cure HIV they will be the leader or
president or doctors or nurses I really
believe in them
please if you don’t know our website go
to my chat and learn about us and know
about us if you can involve in our
project thank you very much
you
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