News Client stories Eskander's Journey Eskander ran for an hour in total darkness the night the military burned down his familyhome and killed his father and brother. That night, the soldiers forced his mother to signover ownership of their family farm to the state. Eskander had already been imprisoned for four months almost 100 miles away from theirfamily farmstead in Dima. Dima is in the regional state of Oromia, the homeland of theOromo people: a large minority ethnic group who have been subject to political oppression,cultural suppression and victims of internment and state violence. He took part in a studentprotest at the technical college where he was studying electrical engineering when themilitary opened fire on protestors. Eskander was one of many students who were arrestedand taken to a military camp, before being sent to an underground prison where he wasbeaten with sticks, cut with knives and tortured with hot metal bars. In 2011, after he’d lived in hiding with his uncle for five months, his mother sold herpossessions to raise funds for Eskander to escape. Leaving Ethiopia was only the beginning of a decade of turmoil that saw the teenage collegestudent progress through his twenties working for two years without pay on a building sitein Sudan, imprisoned in Libya by people smugglers, crossing the Mediterranean in a plasticdinghy, being subjected to a brutal assault by a group of men in Italy, living in a bus stationnear Milan and spending time in Direct Provision Centre in Monaghan before finallyboarding a bus to seek a new life of safety in Belfast in April 2019. After he arrived in Northern Ireland, a doctor suggested that running would be a good wayof helping manage the trauma of his past experiences. He has since won many races as partof the Annadale Striders Running Club. The medals and trophies he has won adorn hisbedside table, along with newspaper cuttings about his athletic achievements. This year Eskander’s running talent earned him a place on the Northern Ireland and Ulsterathletics team where he recently led the team to a magnificent silver medal in the BritishInter Counties Cross Country Championships. In August he will make his track debut over10k in the NI championship. He hopes to compete as part of the elite field in the Antrim CoastHalf Marathon, a world class event which will see Eskander battle against some of theworld’s top runners including Mo Farah. Eskander got married last year and he and his wife Amina are expecting their first child atthe end of summer. You can help us support people like Eskander by donating here. Get involved this Refugee Week by connecting with us on social media:#Eskander#RefugeeWeek2022#HealingTogether Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok Manage Cookie Preferences