Hope in a Camp, Dreams of Home: Two Mothers, One Struggle in Tigray

In Ethiopia’s Tigray region, the weight of conflict and displacement continues to press heavily on families, especially women and children. According to the Global Shelter Cluster’s April 2025 report, over 760,000 people remain internally displaced, most living in overcrowded camps with limited access to food, shelter, or basic services.

Among them are Naney and Genet, mothers who fled their homes in Maygaba, Western Tigray, in December 2020 when violence shattered their peaceful farming communities.

“I had no choice but to run with my children,” says Naney, a mother of five. “We arrived in Endabaguna camp with nothing but fear and hope.”

Genet, a mother of six, recalls a similar journey. “We walked for five days before arriving at the camp. Before the war, I was a farmer. I had dreams for my children. But all that collapsed.”

For over three years, both women endured harsh conditions in the Endabaguna IDP camp, struggling to feed their families and keep their children in school. 

“My family didn’t receive enough food aid due to a shortage of humanitarian aid and a lack of access. We had to buy whatever food we could afford, but we often had no money,” Genet says. “There were days my children went to bed hungry. As a mother, there’s nothing more heartbreaking than not being able to feed your children when they are languishing in hunger.”

Genet’s husband works as a daily labourer whenever work is available, trying to earn some money to buy food. Her older children, including 14-year-old Guesh, also had to contribute her part.

“I used to sell chewing gum in Shire town to help my family,” says Guesh, a Grade 5 student. “Hence, I had to drop out of school.”

In late 2024, both families were relocated to Maidimu IDP camp, on the outskirts of Shire town. The camp now hosts over 8,200 displaced people, most of them women and children. While relocation offered safety, the challenges remained until help arrived.

In January 2025, World Vision Ethiopia, through the U.S. Government-funded Joint Emergency Operation Programme (JEOP), began providing monthly food rations in Maidimu camp. Led by Catholic Relief Services, World Vision Ethiopia supports families across 15 districts in Tigray, including those in Maidimu.

Now, Naney receives 105 kg of sorghum, 10.5 kg of split peas, and 3.5 litres of cooking oil each month. “The food support has been life-changing,” she says. “My children eat three times a day. They’ve returned to school, restoring my hope for my children.” 

“For the last four months, we’ve had consistent food aid provision. It has brought peace to my home,” she says. “Now my children eat and learn. That brings me joy,” says the other mother, Genet.

For her son Guesh, it means more than just full stomachs, but being back on track in fulfilling his dream. “We have enough food at home now, and I’m back in class,” he says. “I want to become a teacher one day.”

In May 2025 alone, World Vision Ethiopia’s response reached more than 305,000 people across 15 districts in Tigray, including over 173,000 children. Among them were nearly 44,000 displaced individuals like Genet, according to Fentaw Ayalew, JEOP Manager with World Vision Ethiopia. “The food distribution is giving children a chance to grow, to attend school with energy, and to simply be children again after the trauma of displacement,” he says.

While lifesaving food support is making an immediate impact, both mothers emphasise that more is still needed to bring them back to normalcy.

“We miss our home,” says Naney. “We have land that could sustain us. But we are stranded here with no real path to return.” 

Genet also agrees. “We urgently need shelter, household items, and protection services, especially for women and children. The conditions here are harsh. The winds are strong. This is not the right place to raise my children.”

As five rainy seasons have passed since they fled, hopes of returning safely and rebuilding their lives remain elusive. Yet, both mothers cling to the dream of a better future, not just survival, but dignity and restoration.

As hundreds of thousands of families in Tigray continue to grapple with the devastating consequences of conflict and displacement, children remain the most vulnerable; hungry, uprooted, and in urgent need of safety and hope. While emergency food assistance is helping them survive today, what families like Genet’s ultimately long for is not just survival, but the opportunity to rebuild their lives with dignity and security. That’s why long-term recovery programs are essential, not only to meet immediate needs but to ensure children and their families can thrive again tomorrow.

By Daniel Kefela, Communication Manager (NECR), World Vision Ethiopia