In the hills of Tigray, where displacement has reshaped daily life, strength often reveals itself in small, steady gestures. Belaynesh grips her white jerrycan with steady hands. What once felt unbearably heavy now feels lighter, almost routine. With new water points nearby and protection services in place, the endless walks and the fear that once shadowed her have finally begun to fade.
Often cast as the most vulnerable, women in displacement settings stand as powerful examples of strength. In this chapter, they show us how they live, how they parent with grace and raise their children with dignity in the face of adversity, all while passing on the most important values of life to the next generation.
A humble beginning
‘Sitting around wasn’t helping, so I started selling mangoes,’ says Feseha.
It is only her second day putting out a small basket of fruit.
‘I don’t know where this business will lead,’ says Feseha, ‘but at least I’ve started.’
Like many women in Maidimu, where the EU’s partner International Organization for Migration (IOM) delivers life-saving assistance including shelter, food, healthcare, drinking water and other services, Feseha’s strength shows not in grand gestures but in small, steady steps forward. With her children back in school and daily needs partly covered by the site’s services, this small business gives her a sense of purpose, helping to slowly build something she can call her own.
Planting a future
Before displacement, Letay, a mother of 3 now living in Maidimu, cultivated 2 hectares in Kafta Humera, tending both crops and children with equal care.
‘I used to farm the land. Now I focus on growing something else – their education,’ Letay says.
Braids of belonging
In the site, Meseret leans forward as Mulaye gently parts and twists her hair – an everyday ritual of connection and shared time between women.
In a place where so much has been taken, these simple routines remain grounding. Between fingers and strands, laughter and memory return. Here, moments of calm and sisterhood grow amid uncertainty.
Weaving a way forward
‘I came here alone with my 5 children,’ says Genet. ‘Everything we had was left behind, but with my hands I can still create something to help us start again.’
Genet arrived at Maidimu carrying responsibility and a fierce will to reclaim the life she deserves. With quiet patience, she weaves a traditional mesob – the round straw basket once used to serve injera, the spongy flatbread that is a staple of Ethiopian cuisine – which she now sells to earn an income.
Holding the Flame
‘I’m alive, and that matters,’ says Tamralech, a mother of 2. ‘Tomorrow is another day.’
Before arriving at Maidimu, Tamralech ran a small tea and coffee stall by the roadside, her livelihood rooted in warmth and routine. Displacement may have taken her stall, but not her determination. In the heat of the fire and the turning of the injera, she holds on to tradition, self-reliance, and the hope of returning to her land one day.
