One Stitch at a Time: Shewit's* Journey from Trauma to Hope in Tigray, Ethiopia

When you enter the Abraham OASIS Safe House in Shire, northern Ethiopia, a soft hum of a sewing machine fills the room, *Shewit Masho, a mother of three carefully stitches together what she hopes will become more than a piece of clothing but a hope that it's the beginning of her new life.  

Just months ago, she struggled to imagine a future for herself and her children. Today, she is learning tailoring skills, rebuilding her confidence and making plans to earn a living.  

Before the conflict, Shewit* lived with her husband in Welkayit Woreda where they farmed crops and raised livestock. Their lives were modest but peaceful.   

That changed quickly 

When the conflict spread across Tigray region, she was forced to flee with her family. They arrived at the Midregenet displacement site in 2021, joining thousands of others who had lost their homes in the conflict. For a while, they received support from humanitarian organizations at the camp.  

Three months later, her sister informed her that their elderly mother had fallen seriously ill and was travelling alone. Shewit* was forced to return alone, from Welkayit in the hope of bringing her mother to safety.  It was on that journey, that she was attacked by two-armed men.  

The assault changed every part of her life. 

By the time she returned, news of what had happened had already reached her husband. Their marriage ended. Instead of finding comfort, she faced rejection and stigma from people around her. She was left to care for her children alone, without income and without the support she had once relied on. 

"I felt I had lost everything," she says quietly. 

Like many survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Tigray, Shewit* carried not only physical and emotional trauma but also the burden of isolation and discrimination.  

It was through Sihul Shire Hospital that she was referred to Abraham OASIS Safe House, an organization that works with affected women, children, and communities across Tigray.  

For the first time in a long time, Shewit felt she was no longer facing her struggles alone. 

“It was here that I felt I had a voice and people listened without judgement” 

At the safe house, survivors of gender-based violence receive medical care, counselling, psychosocial support, basic education and practical skills training to help them rebuild their lives.  

Before returning to their community, they also receive financial support to start small businesses, along with essential items such as bedding and dignity kits, enabling them to move forward with confidence, dignity, and hope for the future. 

Today, tailoring has become part of Shewit's* healing. She hopes the skills she is learning will allow her to earn income, support her children.  

Carlos Mearg, Child Protection and Gender-Based Violence Coordinator at Abraham OASIS, has seen hundreds of women arrive with stories similar to Shewit's*. 

"She was not the only one arriving in need of more than just shelter," he says. "We were receiving hundreds of women, many carrying deep trauma and with nowhere else to turn." 

Support through the Violence Eradicated, Social Reintegration, Opportunities (VERSO) project funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and implemented by Amref and Oxfam has been supporting survivors of Gender-Based Violence in Ethiopia. 

Over the past year, around 400 metres of the access road to the centre have been rehabilitated, making it easier for women to reach emergency medical care. Solar power has been installed throughout the compound, replacing torchlights that staff once relied on at night.  

“Women's rooms now have lighting and ceiling fans, creating a safer and more comfortable environment.” says Carlos. 

Today, solar power lights the compound while an improved access road allows quicker emergency referrals. Women are also training using electric sewing machines that are easier and faster to use. Over the past year alone, the safe house has supported 232 women from Shire and surrounding communities.  

With Oxfam's support, the tailoring room has also changed. A manual sewing machine has been replaced with electric machines that are easier and faster to use, including for women living with disabilities. 

Over the past year alone, the safe house has supported 232 women from Shire and surrounding communities. 

Despite these improvements, the needs remain immense. 

Shrinking humanitarian funding continues to limit outreach, legal support and emergency referrals for survivors across Tigray.  

For Shewit* this is not only a new beginning but hopes for a better future for her children. She dreams of earning a living through tailoring and giving her children the stability they once lost. 

* Names changed to protect identity