This boy was a beggar in the slums of Ethiopia, but now he’s an international celebrity!
Eric Lafforgue, an experienced traveler, has seen much of the world, but a recent encounter in Ethiopia left a lasting impression on him. Near a local pub, he met a boy who, at first glance, seemed ordinary, but as Eric approached, he was captivated by the child’s striking sky-blue eyes—an extremely rare feature for someone of African descent. The boy, named Abash, lives in a modest shack near the restaurant where Lafforgue stayed. His rare eye color is the result of a congenital genetic condition called Waardenburg
syndrome, an anomaly affecting about one in 300,000 people. When Abash was born, his parents feared he was blind due to the unusual appearance of his eyes, but over time, they realized that he could see perfectly. They eventually came to believe that his blue eyes were a gift from God, though Abash faced difficulties because of them. Other children often mocked him, calling him names like “plastic eyes,” and the constant teasing was hard for Abash to bear. When he was eight, his parents sent him to live with his
grandmother in a town closer to school. Tragically, a fire destroyed their cabin, burning all of their belongings, including Abash’s textbooks. Fortunately, both he and his grandmother escaped unharmed. After the fire, Abash moved to the city, unable to afford daily bus rides from his grandmother’s village. Despite his humble surroundings—his bed being a cardboard box—he remains hopeful. His greatest treasure is a red soccer ball, and he dreams of becoming a professional soccer player. Abash idolizes Lionel Messi, saying,
“We are both different!” Soccer is his passion, and he never misses a Barcelona game, watching them at local bars. Lafforgue’s story about Abash touched many hearts worldwide. After hearing it, people from across the globe began to send the boy donations of clothes, food, and school supplies. Thousands are now rooting for Abash, hoping his dream of becoming a soccer star comes true.
