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Mawi's Father Born. Raised by Coptic Monks
Haileab (Mawi's father) born in Seraye, Eritrea. Haileab's father dies soon after his birth. Hailebs mother cannot care for infant. Mawi's father raised an orphan in a monastery till age nine. Mawi's father has a hard, troublesome youth into late adulthood - Even once he gets a successful career going in health care -
Father Passes Exam to Train as Health Care Worker
This would set the father on course of secure future - in a ravaged nation. He would become a 'doctor' of sorts. This would give him status,respect & resources. -
25 years a doctor -War comes - Life Collapse
Mawi's Father had successful life. A medical clinic, a pharmacy, a general store, cattle, well respected. Married whom would become mawi;s mom - then War came. -
Eritrea & Ethiopia 30 yr Civil War begins
War ends 1991 -
Mawi born. Adi Wahla, Ethiopia
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Mawi's Father Flee's Home and Country
As Ethiopian Army advances nearing his home town -
Mother & Children Escape to Sudan
Endure brutal trek through hostile wilderness & Barren Desert heat to escape war -
Mother & Kids Arrive in Sudan
Spend Next 3 yrs in Refugee Camp.
Mother 25?, Tewolde 5, Mawi 3, Mehret 1? -
Family Reunited at Refugee Camp
Mother and Kids find their Father at Refugee camp -
Father&Mother Given Jobs with Swedish Health Clinic
Good fortune again blesses the family - Jobs, a home and connections for the duration of their stay at refugee camp. -
Visas to America - Father Says No...
Days before family to depart for America, estranged half sibling, teen daughter appears. Wants to travel to America. Father chooses family will not depart until daughter can go. Officials grant her visa - but family must wait 1 year, then they may travel. -
Welcome to Chicago - Weeks in Motel
Family relocated to Wheaton - an affluent suburb of Chicago. Spend another two weeks in motel until Bethel Presbyterian church sponsors them -
Family Departs to 'Amerika'
Father, Haileab, in his late forties; mother, Tsege, in her mid-twenties; half sister, Mulu, in her late teens; older brother, Tewolde, nine; sister, Mehret, five; and me, Selamawi, almost seven years old. -
Very Own Two Story Home
Sponsors find home for family - cannot believe all that space is for them. -
Headlights in The Dark
Recount headlight event. Walking around town being stared at. Seeing the buildings, parks stores etc. Pick out stand out stories that encapsulate the growth the experience. Fascination and Home -sick -
The Playground, The Proving Ground
Tewoldi & Mawi go to school - received harshly - many hard lessons. -
HalloweenScreams BoyhoodDreams Pay the Parking Meter.
Halloween and Parking Meters. A serving tray, would you like a headache. Everybody's Kung Fu fighting. Boys will be Boys Halloween screams Childhood Dreams. Pay the Parking Meter. -
Homeless & the Library. Tewolde Knows Hunger.
Recount the molding, the shaping, the impact to Mawi's character from observing his brothers interactions with this homeless man. -
Failing Health. Hello Public Housing
Father develops health conditions. Vision loss begins. Let go from job. Cannot afford rent on single family home they have lived in - have to move to public housing development. Father becomes obsessed with pushing children to work and study. hard times for father adjusting. -
Life is Learning. Learning Becomes Life.
The boys study hard, work hard, play hard - Father drives them hard. Life begins to form. Years of hardship after hardship have been overcome. Maybe dreams do happen - Harvard will come calling one day. But tragedy will call sooner. -
My 'Brother' Gone. Tewolde Dies at 17
Killed by drunk driver. The intersection of yesterday and tomorrow meet for Mawi. Will begin to face life - somewhat alone. -
Who am I ? Whom will I be. High School Life
Mawi Faces loss of the deepest kind. Learns perhaps life isn't fair. New struggles. A couple angels dressed as teachers renew hope. Each year builds. Strives and reaches higher - Senior year bears the fruit of his struggles. Harvard calls. -
Eritrea Becomes an Independent Nation
As fathers life has crumbled to little more than dependence on welfare subsidies, failing health and memories of when he was an important 'someone' in his homeland. Now reduced to just another immigrant burden in a foreign land. -
Hello Darkness My old Friend. Father Dies.
Mawi busy with school. Saw father perhaps 4 wks total in fathers last two years of life. Reflects on the man he maybe never knew - only knew him as 'father' - not a man. -
Immigrant African boy. Graduate of Harvard.
Father and Brother do not live to see Mawi deliver the commencement address at graduation from Harvard in 1999. Tragedy and Triumph are often to close for comfort. One often accompanies the the other - as if they cannot be separated. Such is life... -
A Doctor A Lawyer A Banker. A Beetle?
Mawi chooses to not forget where he came from. To all whom contributed to lifting him from a war torn desert hell - to a graduate of a most prestigious school - Mawi dedicates his life's work to give back. 'a beetle or an angel.' A Harvard alum.
