VOA常速英语:Saving Ethiopian Children Thought to Be Cursed(翻译)

The Omo Valley is a place of stunning beauty with a deeply held secret. Children, labeled "mingi" or cursed, are thought to be responsible for misfortune and are killed. Photographer John Rowe only learned about these after many visits to the region.

“The reason why people get sick, the reason why there’s drought, the reason why there’s famine, is because of ‘mingi’.It’s because children’s teeth first appear on the upper gum instead of the bottom gum.”

Or because they are born out of wedlock, are disabled, or are twins, they are all killed. “They think what they are doing is right.”

Rowe’s documentary, Omo Child: The River and the Bush, tell us the story. Rowe’s son Tyler, the director of cinematography, met with denial when they were first asked about the practice.

“They all [said] ‘Oh, no, no, no, it doesn’t happen here. We’ve stopped it a long time ago. It only happens off in this far village ... those backward people. It’s not us. We don’t do that.’”

The Karo tribe has now stopped the practice largely because of the efforts of one of its members, Lale Labuko, who learned at age 15 of two sisters killed before he was born.

“I said, I want to stop these things.”

Lale Labuko’s work has been spread by the documentary, which was part of a series at the Skirball Cultural Center featuring winners of the Social Impact Media Awards.

“We feel so connected to the world now via the internet, yet there are still stories that are unknown to us.”

Labuko’s work isn’t done.

“There are two other tribes that continue to practice ‘mingi,’ and kill children. And he is working hard to try [to] prevent them. In the meantime, he’s now rescued 46 children.”

And thanks to Rowe, more people know about it.

Mike O’Sullivan VOA NEWS Los Angeles.