23 Mar I remember
After seeing a piece of theater devised by Michael and Julianna, participants of the Dadaab Theater Project were asked to write a response to the work based on the following writing prompts: What did you feel? What did you see? What did you remember? Ojullu, an Ethiopian Gambela, who fled the genocide of his country responded with the following words.
I remember December 13, 2003 when my siblings and I gather under the tree in the forest with our lips dry, hiding for our precious lives. I remember that day when I saw one of my people convulsing in the blood, and some are limped because their legs were shot, some are crouching, it was that time I realize that man die simply without taking a minute.
I remember that day when my mother pray for water in order to quench our thirst, while my father clearing somewhere to sleep in apart of our hut. It was the time when I saw people panting like dogs and elders thinking for the reason of killing people which cannot be fathomed, when elders tried to give incoherent torrent of words for their lives.
I remember kids ran by themselves with out their mothers holding their hands when the scorching sun burn the dead bodies in our region and let vultures celebrate on them. I remember the day when mothers forgot to sing the lullaby to their young babies.