In the aftermath of the Todonyang massacre that left more than 30 fishermen dead, a trail of death and destruction left dozens of women widows in the remote village in Turkana North. The horrific terror near the Kenya-Ethiopia border has left a cloud of grief hanging heavily over the small fishing community as widows grapple to come to terms with the loss of their husbands in a deadly Ethiopian Dassanech attack. Rows of women sit in silence, their faces etched with pain, as they grapple with the haunting absence of their husbands, victims of brutal attacks by suspected Merile militia from Ethiopia.
For more than a week now, the widows of Todonyang have endured sleepless nights, waiting for news that may never come. Their husbands, most of them fishermen, vanished in the treacherous waters of Lake Turkana in Todonyang after a deadly raid that occurred on February 22 at Natiira and Lopeimukat along the Kenya Ethiopia border. The attack not only claimed the lives of several men but also left behind a trail of widows and orphans grappling with the harsh realities of life without their breadwinners.
For Veronica Aroo, 45, life has taken a painful twist since her husband, Kaeris Elim, was killed in the militia ambush. The father of six was a fisherman, and his boat, along with his fishing gear, was stolen by the attackers.
With her only source of livelihood gone, Aroo is now forced to step into her husband's shoes, a burden she says is almost unbearable. "Life has become extremely difficult since my husband was killed.
