Making Her Popularity Count : Magi Tareke Speaks Out About the Crisis in Tigray Ethiopia
There is an alarming crisis happening in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia that you may not have heard of, so Mearg “Magi” Tareke wants to change that.
If you watch ABC’s dating reality show The Bachelor, you will recognize Magi as one of the contestants from the most recent season, where she made history as the first Ethiopian contestant to compete in the show’s 25 seasons on air. What you may not know about Magi is that while the pharmacist and model calls Washington, DC home, she is from a region in northern Ethiopia, called Tigray, that is experiencing a dire humanitarian crisis.
Since the conflict in Tigray began last November, thousands have died and at least a million people have fled their homes, as reports of other atrocities and human rights violations grow. As the violence continues, efforts to bring attention to the crisis are increasing, and people like Magi are stepping to the forefront, and inspiring others in the process.
Magi talked to Marie Claire about the impact this crisis has had on her and why she feels compelled to speak out.
Video credit: Omna Tigray
“I am not political; I stand for humanity,” Tareke says. “I had never been to a protest ever before. The one thing that pushed me was my family: They can’t speak. We are their only voice.”
Magi, 32, is also connecting with younger Ethiopian girls who recognize her and are inspired by seeing someone they can relate to advocate for their homeland.
“She’s an inspiration to all of us,” says Zeima Sebhatu, 16, who came up from the D.C. area to attend the protest. “We’re glad that we met her today because it’s really rare to meet a famous Habesha [Ethiopian], especially one from Tigray.”