From Meru we left for Torbi, a windswept village located some 30kms from the Ethiopian border, mostly noted for an infamous massacre which took place in the early morning hours of July 12th 2005. The pain from the enormous loss of innocent school children and their parents that day by Boran raiders, a tribe that's been fighting with the Gabbra people over water rights, continues to this day with peace efforts being made by the elders of both the Boran and the Gabbra clans to stop the blood feud. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbi_massacre)
I want to move past this tragedy because there are so many moments of true pain and hardship out here without looking too hard yet know that the memory of that day cut deep into each of those who escaped death. The survivors however live to work hard each and ever day to stay alive in what could only be described as a blisteringly hot landscape that's devoid of trees or shrubs - covered only by rocks for as far as you could see with barely enough water to use for cooking, none available for washing their clothes or bedding and definitely none for bathing - just a tough existence for anyone really. However in the middle of this drought affected region are an amazing group of women from the Gabbra tribe, who defy all odds by surviving at all, that helped me by taking the time to understand the project about empowering women and couldn't do enough in playing their part...
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