Young boys

What happens to these boys?

The population in Eritrea is estimated to be around 3,817,651 in 2024. While that may sound good at first, if you look at the broader context, you can see how little it is compared to how the population is supposed to be. At the end of 2018, there were around 5 million people in Eritrea, and there were over 500,000 Eritrean refugees worldwide, which is a high number for a land with such a little population , The majority being young adults and men in their 20s to 30s. The refugee number is growing every year, and if we look at the number around the world right now, the population in Eritrea is filled with elderly people, women, and children. Men and boys have escaped with their families to a land where there is freedom. There are many reasons why they leave: the economic state, the depression, the system, and the society itself being a damaging experience for many young people. The pressure is especially hard for young boys because they are expected to earn all the money, be strong, and provide for their families, which is hard since they work long hours for little money that is only enough for one person. They have low emotional capacities because of the society around them that forces them to never be able to cry or show emotions because they are men. Men can't cry. They grow up in a family where the man of the house has the control, and the woman is expected to only obey him. Everyone is supposed to obey him, and if you disobey, you get beaten. I can speak for every child in Eritrea who has been hit once or twice. While girls also have it tough, they are only expected to do as the men around them say they are supposed to do. The women in families are also beaten if they don't obey their husbands. They have to be strong, smart, and be able to provide for their families. Maybe that's why the majority of refugees are men. While that is expected also around the world, in Eritrea, the traditional setting of a man has never let go, so we are stuck in the past where everything is being controlled by men. Young boys.

Author's Note

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I would appriciate it if you could spred my work:)

Reviews

[Betty Hermelee]

A male dominated society can be crude and de-facing....boys are expected to follow their father's place in the family...which is to order their wives and children around, while they sit, smoke and discuss with other elders....in addition i believe there is much abuse of by those men....sounds like much of the population is leaving the country for jobs ,etc....Eritrea also has been involved in may wars in recent times...
Nice work!
Warmly, B