A Mother's Search

For three years, Almaz has not stopped searching. Her son, Bereket, was 24 when he left their home in Asmara, hoping to find safety and opportunity abroad. The last she heard from him was a brief phone call from a transit point in Sudan.

"He said he would call again in a few days," Almaz recalls, her voice steady but her eyes betraying the weight of uncertainty. "Those days turned into weeks, then months, then years."

Like thousands of Eritrean families, Almaz lives in a state of limbo—not knowing if her child is alive or dead, safe or suffering. She has contacted every organization she can find, registered with multiple databases, and spent countless hours on social media groups dedicated to finding the missing.

"The hardest part is not knowing," she says. "If I knew for certain what happened, I could grieve or I could hope. But this... this is something in between."

Through Missing From Eritrea, Almaz found a community of families who understand her pain. She has connected with others who share information, support each other through difficult moments, and keep the search alive.

"We cannot give up," Almaz says firmly. "Every person who goes missing has a family waiting. Every family deserves answers. That is why we must keep documenting, keep searching, keep hoping."

Her story is one of thousands. But each story matters. Each person matters. And until they are found, the search continues.