Ethiopian Mother Tells How Her 15 Children Were Cursed, Thrown To Hungry Crocodiles

A 45-year-old inconsolable woman narrates her painful story
about her fifteen children being killed by tribal elders in
southern Ethiopia’s Omo Valley.
Mingi is the traditional belief among Karo, Hamar and Bano
tribes in southern Ethiopia that children with physical
abnormalities will bring ill fortune, drought, famine, disease and
death to its tribe, if they aren’t killed
Buko Balguda’s seven sons and eight daughters were all killed
at birth by village elders. For Ms Balguda, the nightmare started
when her future husband failed to be initiated as a man in a
traditional ceremony and thus could not marry a woman.
Despite elders prohibition the wedding took place and every
child born in this family was doomed to death as he/she was
considered to be cursed (‘mingi’). Ms Balguda wasn’t required
to kill her own child, she was forced to stand and watch as
elders carried her babies away to their deaths.
Buko Balguda’s seven sons and eight daughters were all killed
at birth by village elders
"I lost five plus five plus five babies – 15 in total. I had seven
males and eight females. During this time, our tribal traditions
were very hard. It was not me who killed the babies. It was
other people from my village. I did not respect our traditions, so
they killed my children."
Mingi is the traditional belief among Karo, Hamar and Bano
tribes in southern Ethiopia that adults and children with physical
abnormalities will bring ill fortune, drought, famine, disease and
death to its tribe, if they aren’t killed.
A child can be declared Mingi for the following reasons:
because of disabilities, because their parents didn’t get
permission for a pregnancy from the elders, because they are
part of a set of twins and most cruelly of all, because their teeth
develop the wrong way.
Cursed children are left alone to be eaten by hyenas, thrown to
hungry crocodiles or simply starved to death in a locked hut
Cursed children are left alone to be eaten by hyenas, thrown to
hungry crocodiles or simply starved to death in a locked hut.
The tribe leave cursed children alone in the bush without food
and water to be eaten by hyenas or drown them in the river full
of crocodiles.
The Karo officially banned the practice in July 2012, while
around 50,000 individuals secretly continue to practice it in
other Omotic communities. The charity organizations working in
Ethiopia ask parents of ‘mingi’ children to give them to
orphanages or foster parents. The Karo officially banned the
practice in July 2012, while around 50,000 individuals secretly
continue to practice it in Bana and Hamar communities.
The charity organizations working in Ethiopia ask parents of
‘mingi’ children to give them to orphanages or foster parents
It is illegal but elders do it in secret and nobody has been
arrested for doing it so far. Until things change, the pain for
women like Ms Balguda will continue. "At the time, I had no
choice. Nowadays, when i see the women giving birth or giving
milk, I feel sorry. I feel lonely. Nobody is on my side."