Gelila* was just nine years old when she went to live with a female relative in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital. She had been promised a loving and caring home as well as a place at a good school.
Excited by the prospect, Gelila and her parents had eagerly accepted. She left the family home in the Southern Ethiopia Region and travelled to Addis. But it quickly materialised that they had been tricked.
Gelila was forced into domestic servitude; she was made to work long hours, carrying out household chores and babysitting responsibilities. She also experienced neglect and abuse. If she did not work hard enough, she was beaten and verbally abused.
This exploitation continued for five long months. The situation came to a head over an argument about a broken household item. Gelila was woken in the middle of the night and told to leave the property. She had nowhere to go.
Feeling lost and scared, Gelila sought help from a neighbour, who had compassion for her and contacted the police.
Officers came to Gelila’s aid, first keeping her safe at a local police station and then referring her to Hope for Justice.
Our outreach and education team invited her to stay at our Deborah Lighthouse. At first, Gelila refused to talk with the other children at the Lighthouse – her exploitation had made her distrustful and insecure. However, her counsellor helped her to process her trauma.
Gradually, Gelila began to heal and make friends at the Lighthouse. She attended catch-up education and life skills sessions, and got medical care and psychosocial support.
The stability and care that this young survivor received helped her to regain her confidence and sense of security. She has bravely shared her story.
Gelila is now safely back with her family and has been re-enrolled in school. When her parents discovered that she was safe, they were overjoyed. They have since received anti-trafficking training from our team and we will continue follow-up visits.
Thankfully Gelila now has a bright future ahead of her.
*Name changed to protect identity of the survivor
