Aliyah from Ethiopia

Yatbenash and her family made Aliyah from Ethiopia in 2004. Her family consists of her parents, and her four children; ages 22, 19, 15, and 5. When the family arrived in Israel, they first lived in an absorption center, later moving into one of Jerusalem's poor neighborhoods.

In 2015 Yatbenash came to the welfare office because of marital problems, and conflict between her husband and their eldest son. The difficulties between father and son affected the whole family and put a strain on their relationship as well.

In their relationship roles, her husband was the only one who made decisions, leaving Yatbenash a bystander with no voice. When it escalated to sustained domestic violence, she didn’t know what to do—but after a particularly abusive encounter, she decided she’d had enough and called the police.

Yatbenash works hard to provide for the family but is facing many hardships—both financial and emotional. She does everything by herself, without financial or emotional support from family or friends.

She cannot afford to cover all her expenses and payments on her modest income, and her husband doesn't always support her financially with household expenses and bills. Despite all the difficulties, Yatbenash pushes forward—devoting herself to providing for her children.