My name is Soreti, and I was born in 1998 in Wachu Town, Harar Zone, Ethiopia.
As a young girl, I dreamed of finishing school and building a better future. I attended school until Grade 8, but my dreams were taken away when I was only 14 years old.
My parents forced me to marry an older man who had close connections to government officials. The reason was heartbreaking. I had been talking to a boy my own age at school, and my family believed I had brought shame upon them by having a boyfriend. In my community, traditions and social pressure often outweighed the rights and wishes of girls. Once the decision was made, I had no voice and no choice.
Before our marriage, my husband promised that I would be allowed to continue my education. After I had lived with him for a year, he broke that promise. Instead of returning to school, I was expected to stay home and serve as a wife.
I could not accept losing my future. I escaped and returned to my parents’ home, hoping they would protect me. Instead, only three days later, they took me back to my husband’s house because of pressure from relatives, elders, and the community.
Soon after I returned, I became pregnant. I gave birth to my first child when I was only 16 years old. Becoming a mother while still a child myself was incredibly difficult. I loved my baby, but I felt trapped in a life I had never chosen.
I escaped once again, taking my baby with me to my parents’ home. This time, my father stood by my side. He believed that what had happened to me was wrong and tried to protect me. However, our community strongly supported child marriage, and the pressure on my father became overwhelming. Eventually, I was forced back to my husband’s home once again.
After I returned, my husband controlled every part of my life. He kept me isolated, limiting my communication with others and making it almost impossible to seek help. I became pregnant again and gave birth to my second daughter when I was 17 years old.
Life went from difficult to unbearable
Seeing my suffering, my father made a courageous decision. He secretly helped me escape to Adama, about 200 kilometres from our hometown, where my aunt lived. I stayed there for about three months, believing I had finally found safety.
However, my former husband was a powerful man with connections to government officials. Instead of accepting that I had left, he used his influence to have my father arrested. In my experience, people with power could use the system against ordinary families, leaving us with little protection or access to justice.
I could not bear the thought of returning to my hometown and risking my life or putting my family in even greater danger. I made the heartbreaking decision to leave my two young daughters in the care of my aunt in Adama and flee Ethiopia to seek refuge in Egypt.
The first two years in Egypt were some of the hardest of my life. I lived as a refugee, separated from my children and carrying the pain of not knowing when I would see them again. It was after I arrived in Egypt that I learned the devastating news that my father had been released from prison after one year. During his imprisonment, he did not receive the medical care he needed, and he passed away shortly after his release. Losing my father was one of the greatest tragedies of my life. I have always believed that his imprisonment and lack of proper medical treatment contributed to his death. I continue to carry the pain of knowing that he suffered because he chose to protect me.
Every day in Egypt, I worried about my daughters’ safety. One of my greatest fears was that they were growing up in the same community that had supported forced child marriage and taken away my own childhood. I constantly worried that my daughters could one day face the same pressure and abuse that I had experienced. Every day, I dreamed of the moment when I could bring them to safety and protect them.
While living in Egypt, I met the man who is now my husband. He accepted my past, supported me through my struggles, and has been a caring partner. We married after my private refugee sponsorship application to Canada had already been submitted. Because of the timing, my sponsors were unable to include him in my application before I arrived in Canada.
With the incredible generosity of private sponsors, my local community In Victoria and the Anglican Diocese of BC, I was given the opportunity to start a new life in Canada. I arrived in Victoria, British Columbia, and have now been here for more than six months.
Although I am deeply grateful for the safety and kindness I have found in Canada, my greatest struggle continues every single day.
My husband is in Cairo, Egypt, and my two daughters are currently living with my mother in Ethiopia. Every day we remain apart is another day our family is divided. I continue to worry about their well-being and safety, especially because they are still living in an environment where harmful traditional practices against girls continue to exist.
I survived forced child marriage, lost my education, endured years of abuse and control, lived as a refugee, and was separated from my children simply because I wanted the freedom to make decisions about my own life. No girl should have to experience what I did. Unfortunately, many women and girls in parts of Africa continue to face forced
marriage, gender inequality, and systems where influential people can abuse their power without accountability.
Today, I am trying to rebuild my life in Victoria BC, Canada. I am learning, working toward becoming independent, and creating a safe future for my family. My greatest wish is not for luxury or comfort — it is simply to live together as a family in safety.
I am asking for your help to reunite my family. We need to raise a total of $32,000 for my family’s sponsorship. no donation is too small.
Your kindness will bring my family one step closer to being together again and will give my daughters the opportunity to grow up in safely, with hope for a better future.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for taking the time to read my story and for considering supporting my family. Your compassion and generosity give me hope that one day, we will finally be together again.
How to donate
Donations by cheque can be made payable to: Refugee Program of the Anglican Diocese of BC Memo: 576A – Soreti Hussein
Tax receipts are available for eligible donations.
Online donations can be made through bc.anglican.ca/giving.
To make an online donation:
- Open the link and scroll down to click Donate.
- Choose Donate Now or Donate Monthly.
- Under “Apply your donation to a fund set up by this charity,” select Refugee (not General).
- In the “Memo/Send a message to this charity” section, write 576A – Soreti Hussein so that your donation is directed to the correct refugee sponsorship account.
