Donning a festive white dress, with her hair intricately braided and her eyes lined with the traditional kohl paint, Ethiopian Yudita Ihab prepared for the annual Ashenda celebration. “It’s our identity and we want to express it despite the difficulties we are going through,” Naabali Kahtay told AFP. In the Tigrinya language, Ashenda is a type of tall green grass found on river banks in the region. As part of the festivities, women wear skirts made of the weaved Ashenda grass over white cotton dresses with colourful embroidery. The Tigray conflict has displaced around two million people but the death toll remains unknown as the region reels from a near-complete blockade and a communications blackout.

Source: Ethiopian News September 07, 2022 03:54 UTC