Sheweat Laine

እምነት; Faith Description: Every day, for as long as she could remember, my aunt would walk to the closest church to pray. She didn’t need to read scripture to live its message; her life was her scripture. Though she never learned to read, she possessed a kind of wisdom and spiritual clarity that no book alone could offer.

In the stillness of the early mornings, beneath the echo of ancient hymns, she whispered prayers for her family, her neighbors, and even strangers. Her faith was not loud or showy; it was steady, simple, and unshakable—a quiet force that held our family together through hardship and uncertainty.

To me, she embodied what it means to believe, not just in God, but in love, endurance, and community. Watching her, I learned that faith isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about showing up, day after day, with your whole heart. Even now, when I face doubt or fear, I think of her kneeling in that church, and I remember the power of devotion lived not spoken.

As an Eritrean-American born and raised in Atlanta and now based in New York City, I’m caught at the intersection of rich cultures that, on the surface, could not appear any more different. Navigating my Eritrean heritage has looked like learning my mother tongue, Tigrigna. My favorite way to connect with my roots is simply booking a flight and spending time with my elders in the city and the rural villages where my relatives live. Escaping New York winters for extended stays in my father's village has offered me the opportunity to engage with customs and traditions that have faded within the diaspora. These experiences have fundamentally shaped how I see the world and how I understand survival. In environments where resources are limited, I’ve witnessed a deeply embedded culture of sustainability, where even a single water bottle has countless uses. This resourcefulness, this way of life, continues to inform how I would like to build my own life. Overall, I am more focused on understanding the tension and harmony that exists between my identities and continue to explore the themes of belonging, memory and resilience.