In this powerful episode, Tesfay courageously recounts his harrowing past, beginning with leaving Eritrea at the tender age of ten. He shares memories of simple joys like playing football with homemade balls, before describing being taken away by unknown men in a car (the first he'd ever seen) and being left stranded for three days on the streets of an Ethiopian city. He spent five years with a family who took him in, not as a son, but as unpaid household help, denied schooling and basic shoes.
At 15, Tesfay made the brave decision to escape, embarking on a perilous journey across continents. He describes hiding on a bus to the Sudan border, fleeing from passport checks, and navigating the vast city of Khartoum where he found solace and community among other Eritrean refugees. The harsh reality of forced army conscription made returning home impossible, a painful realisation that solidified his path forward. He speaks of working for a flooring contractor for a year without pay, and the attempts to coerce him into a different religion, reinforcing his determination to stay true to himself.
His journey then escalated to the terrifying crossing of the Sahara Desert by truck, where he witnessed extreme hardship and the threat of violence. He vividly recalls being hit by a sword for trying to find a more comfortable spot in a crowded vehicle. The episode culminates in his five-month imprisonment in Libya, a place where people are trafficked, enslaved, and face unspeakable atrocities, including rape. Tesfay recounts his daring escape from prison by scaling an 8-foot wall amidst a chaotic distraction. His story concludes with his arrival at the Libyan coast, filled with fear of the sea, where he found other desperate travellers preparing for the dangerous journey to Europe, marking the beginning of the next chapter of his fight for freedom.
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