Following Their Footsteps - Part II ]

As I mentioned in Part I of the same title(2010 FEB and MAR), the first ones of the family to flee their homes away were my dad and my uncle. That happened because of the miserable livelihood at home. The exile was economically much better than at home and both brothers managed to bring their families and extended relatives, whereby they settled and lived comfortably until the deportation reintegrated them back home following the independence of Eritrea and the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia.

The impact of the conflict and deadly battle between the two countries affected the livelihood of people to resume the exile legally or illegally. Thanks to JEN, I was the first from the Meles family to legally flee my country because of the employment with JEN South Sudan. As an Eritrean culture and more specifically lesson learned from my father, I had to take care of my brothers and sisters back at home, as well. This lasted for about two years but the burden to me was too much and I had to consider of bringing the skilled and physically abled ones here to Juba.

Eventually, with my assistance of their transport expenses, ten members of Meles family followed me to Juba, managed to help themselves and their respective families and parents at home and hence enabled me to concentrate on my own family, only. My family consists of myself, my  wife and three children,  which are running their own businesses and this situation allowed me to be responsible for my wife and myself only. So, it is this favourable condition which contributed to my final decision to go back home and enjoy the rest of my life with my beloved wife. This age of mine, 60, is also the right time to retire and hope God blesses me that I will never regret of my decision.

But this achievement could have never been materialized without JEN and its kind and polite Japanese staff, whom I can never forget in my life. Because likewise its projects, JEN has made my family and extended relatives SELF_RELIANT. It has helped me to achieve my mission and vision and hence let me use this opportunity to award this credit to JEN and its management in deferent level, not forgetting those who have terminated JEN for different reasons. Let me use this opportunity also to apologize if I have intentionally or unintentionally offended any of them in my last 11 years of employment with JEN. 

Haileselasse Meles

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