DNA (May 26, 2019)

After walking the red carpet at uber glam events such as Met Gala and the Cannes Film Festival, Priyanka Chopra Jonas had a diametrically opposite visit in Ethiopia to raise awareness about UNICEF. As its Goodwill Ambassador, PCJ walked into classrooms at the Bambasi refugee camp, which was filled with children who have fled their countries due to conflict and humanitarian crises.

There, the actress met eight-year-old Zulfa Ata Ey, one of 6,000 students registered at the Bambasi Refugee Primary School. Talking about the grade-two pupil in the overcrowded class, Priyanka said, “Zulfa is just one of the so many students I met who are eager to be in school.” She added, “It was amazing to walk into classrooms packed with students eager to learn. So long as children have access to education, there is hope. UNICEF is supporting the government in training teachers, supplying books, and building schools as well as classrooms so that all children enjoy their right to education, no matter who they are or what their migration status is.” Like many refugee schools in Ethiopia, Bambasi has a severe shortage of classrooms, teachers and textbooks.

“Children uprooted from their homes by war and disaster endure the most disruption to their lives. They miss out on education, healthcare and stability, which makes them extremely vulnerable to violence, abuse or exploitation,” Priyanka stated about her visit to Ethiopia, which is home to 9,00,000 refugees — the second highest in Africa — who were displaced from their homes in Somalia, South Sudan, Eritrea, Sudan and Yemen. Many crossed borders in search of peace or a better life, facing dangers and discrimination along the way.

At Hitsats and Adi-Harush camps, schools, health centres and other essential services are integrated and serve both Eritrean refugees and Ethiopian nationals. “These camps sit very closely to the neighbouring “host” Ethiopian community,” said PCJ, adding, “Like their refugee peers, Ethiopians in these communities also struggle with poverty and limited resources. Having programmes available for both communities brings equal opportunities to all the children here — education, nutrition and health services — things every single child needs to survive and thrive.”

Apart from meeting the kids in classrooms, Priyanka also watched a football match in which Ethiopian and Eritrean players participated. The captains of the two football teams explained that when the first refugees from the latter region crossed the border, they were dismissive towards each other and cautioned not to interact with one another. Through time, shared schools, and a better understanding that both have the same needs, they now live closely, go to school and play together, as they both share a love of football.

At the Adi-Harush camp, Priyanka visited a government-run nutrition screening centre and nearby MayTsebri Hospital, both of which service refugees as well as members of the host communities. Here, babies have access to treatment for malnutrition and mothers receive much-needed healthcare.

“What I saw in Ethiopia is the capacity of human beings to empathise with and alleviate human suffering,” said the Quantico actress. “It is a shining example of what we — individuals, communities and governments — can do to help those who have been displaced by conflict and humanitarian disasters by allowing an open-door policy to refugees and providing protection to those seeking asylum in the country,” she concluded.