Article January 1, 2001 Issue

I was a refugee at thirteen

with contributions from Luam Teame Adhanom

Luam Teame Adhanom is a 16-year-old from Eritrea, a country on the eastern coast of Africa. From 1998 to 1999, Eritrea was at war with its neighbor, Ethiopia, because of a border dispute. During this time Luam had to leave her home, her family, and friends, for a new life in the United States, in Boston. The Herald had the following interview with Luam.

Can you tell us something about your life in Eritrea?

Life was much easier there. It's not that I don't like it here, but it's hard to live without your parents. I used to talk to my parents if I had a problem, but I didn't know much about God. No one in my family was religious; however we believed in only one God and followed the Ten Commandments. I really started thinking about who God is when I began going to a Christian Science Sunday School in the US.

Send a comment to the editors