A church in Ethiopia’s ancient northern city of Axum claims to guard the biblical Ark of the Covenant, replicas of which occupy the center sanctum of churches throughout the East African country.
Ethiopia is a deeply religious nation, and people ascribe much of what happens in life to God’s will. So when a child who displays behavioral or developmental differences is diagnosed with autism — assuming the family has access to such a diagnosis — it can be equivalent to learning that a family or parent has been cursed by God for some sin they are assumed to have committed.
That perception, combined with a desperate lack of health services — particularly in rural areas — and limited accommodation for autistic children in schools, can leave parents feeling like they have no way out. Fathers of autistic children often abandon their wives to start over, and mothers often find themselves alone to balance an extremely demanding home life with the need to put food on the table.
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
