Angesom’s Story

“I was part of an underground movement of young people in Eritrea who were working to educate our peers and others about the basic ideas of liberty by sharing reading materials, movies and other materials about the basic idea of freedom, like the idea that nobody has to choose things for you. It was a dangerous message to share.”

“In 2014, our group was discovered and some people were arrested by security forces. I had to leave the country, which wasn’t easy because people between the ages of 18 and 40 is not allowed to leave. I had to cross the mountains into Ethiopia, which was at war with Eritrea at that time. There were wild animals, land mines – and the government had a shoot-to-kill policy or detention if I had been caught.”

“I got there safely then had to stay in a refugee camp in limbo with no hope in sight. Fortunately for me through a Civil Society Leadership Award, I received a scholarship and was able to come to the United States in July of 2017.”  

“When I first came to America, it was a shock. The image of America that I had is mostly from books and other materials, so I was expecting that Americans actually know a lot about their liberties and they would do everything to protect them. And the reality was that a lot of people don't know or take liberties for granted. They didn’t feel they had to protect them. It was really frustrating.”

“I realized sometimes you only really understand things when you go through the horrors.” 

“In the Dissident Project, we are all dissidents in our country of origin – and most of the countries had liberty at one time. It didn’t suddenly disappear – it was eroded slowly. In the U.S. in the last 10 or 20 years, a lot of things have been happening which I believe is liberty slowly eroding.”

“A lot of people think this only happens in faraway lands and it will not happen to them – but history repeats itself. Most of the countries that lose their liberty lose it slowly, and nobody expected it. By sharing our stories, people can realize the early signs and protect their liberty.”

Angesom Teklu

Boston