MK Tsega Melaku travelled to Tzfat (Safed) as part of her support for the family of nine-year-old Haymanut Kasau, who has been missing for more than a month, after disappearing from the absorption center in the city, where she lived.
"About 360 Ethiopian immigrants live at the absorption center. They are distraught and don't know what to do. I met with an Israeli police representative and they explained the investigation to me, but they don't know anything. They checked and searched every corner and found nothing," Melaku told Arutz Sheva – Israel National News.
Melaku shares the family's pain. "The little girl disappeared a month ago and has already been forgotten by the public. Is anyone in the media counting the days since she went missing? It hurts me so much. A nine-year-old girl left her home; the most secure place there is, and she disappeared. No one talks about her. It shows that there is something wrong with our society."
Melaku notes, that it is unfortunate that the fact that this is a family of new immigrants plays a role. "Sometimes it's very difficult to talk about origins, but I don't see any other reason. When you're a new immigrant, who doesn't understand the culture, your parents don't have money, they don't have the ability to bang on the table – then everything is forgotten. It hurts so much. I ask everyone - don't forget Haymanut. She could be the child of each and every one of you."
She has two messages to convey: "I call on the public not to spare resources and to invest efforts in looking for her. We also need to learn from this case about everyone's personal safety. We must keep our eyes more open, especially when it comes to children."