You probably have never even seen an African with blue eyes. Me neither actually, until that day I went for a walk with my local friend Abraham in the center of Jinka, Ethiopia.
A young Ethiopian boy named Abushe has captured the attention of photographers and people from all over the world because of his rare blue eyes. With his dark skin that accentuates his blue eyes, his look has captured the imagination of the world.
Abraham spoke to me the night before about a boy, he had taken care of for 3 years, making sure he went to school and had food to eat.
The Story of Abushe
Abushe is from Jinka, located in southern Ethiopia. Abushe is a 10 year old kid living on the streets of Jinka, who lost his father in an early age. Abushe is 8, he lives in south Ethiopia, i met him in front of a bank. I came back the day after to try to know more about this kid.
His mother works in a farm , 30 km from there, his father is dead. Abushe’s mother lived far outside of the city, and couldn’t afford the bus ticket for Abushe to school, so he stayed with his grandmother, and depended on her and Abraham.
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He used to live in his grand mother house, but last week, a fire erupted in the poor wooden house, so he lost all his school books and his blanquet. As the grand mother house is too far from the school, he lives in a very small room in a metal house without window, full of dirt, and sleeps there on with a friend. At 8 years old. As his books have burnt, he cannot go to school anymore.
When French photographer Eric Lafforgue met Abushe in early 2016, the boy lived with his grandparents in a small hut made out of hatch and wood. He was able to attend school, and the food was provided by generous patrons of the restaurant opposite the slum. Unfortunately, a fire broke out, but Abushe and his grandmother escaped without any major injuries. The fire destroyed all of their possessions except one thing that dear to Abushe: a red soccer ball.
All he had for clothing was the red tank top he was wearing, nothing else at all. For the 3 days I was with Abraham and Abushe, we had a great time, and I will remember the laughs we shared, and I especially remember one episode when I had a 10 birr (Ethiopian money, like 0,30 dollars) falling out of my pocket, and Abushe took my arm and said: “Mr Gustava, you have big money falling out of your pocket,” with a smile to me. That hit my heart. Such a humble kid and so mature for such a young boy! Everyone could learn a lesson from his positive outlook on life.
Good news is that Abraham told me a sponsor family was now trying to adopt Abushe and get him to Paris, France.
He was even named among the 88 people with the most beautiful eyes in the world, a title the young boy still can’t wrap his mind around. However, having the world’s most beautiful eyes hasn’t always been easy for him.
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According to Hunnigan, Abushe’s traditional name is Melekamu which means ‘the good.’
Abushe does not let that get him down and shows great promise and talent in becoming a soccer player of note. To play for Barcelona is what he wants. He has a passion for the game. He admires the forward Lionel Messi. Abushe told Lafforgue, “Messi is just like me.
One photographer from Cape Town, South Africa who saw Abushe for the first time described his encounter, “he had blue eyes like [sic] I’ve never seen before in my life!
Mike also had a chat with him and snapped a few photos of the boy. The blue-eyed boy hasn’t been forgotten. Lafforgue shared an image of Abushe on his Instagram account on Feb.
Describing the moment, Mike wrote on his blog: “He had blue eyes like I’ve never seen before in my life! Happy #WorldPhotoDay! Here’s one of my favorite portraits I’ve taken this year to celebrate!
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““When I was born, they thought I was blind,” Abushe told Cle. “When they realized I could see, some people called me cursed and a lot of the children in my village refused to play with me. They used to warn me “you need to fix your eyes” I left home and lived on the streets and got into a lot of fights.
Waardenburg Syndrome
Abushe’s wondrous blue eyes stem from a condition called Waardenburgh syndrome. The young boy was born with a condition known as Waardenburg syndrome, which is a melanin gene mutation affecting the pigment in the development of eye color. Only 1/300,000 babies are born with this rare genetic condition which changes the pigmentation of the eyes.
When Abushe was born, his parents were reportedly shocked by his eyes and thought he was blind, but his parents could not afford to get him diagnosed or treated.
Waardenburg's Syndrome - CRASH! Medical Review Series
Genetic Diversity and Eye Color in Africa
Eye color is determined by the amount and distribution of melanin in the iris-the colored part of the eye. Africa represents the cradle of human genetic diversity. The presence of blue eyes in Black Africans represents a beautiful example of human genetic diversity and our shared ancestry. Understanding genetic diversity helps build more inclusive, educated communities.
Groundbreaking research from the University of Copenhagen revealed that all individuals with blue eyes share a common genetic ancestor. Blue eyes can appear in children when both parents carry the recessive gene, even if neither parent has blue eyes themselves.
The majority of Africans possess beautiful brown eyes, ranging from deep chocolate to warm amber tones. These eyes contain higher levels of melanin, creating rich, captivating patterns that vary uniquely from person to person. Many Africans also have dark, caramel-coloured eyes that create a stunning contrast between their dark irises and bright whites. Approximately 2% of the world’s population has green eyes, and while rare, some individuals of African descent possess this striking eye color. Blue eyes represent the rarest eye color variation among African populations, occurring in only 6-8% of the global population.
In 2020, a heartbreaking story emerged from Nigeria that highlights deep-seated misconceptions about genetic diversity in African populations. A woman and her children faced rejection and accusations of witchcraft from their own family-simply because they possessed striking blue eyes.
| Eye Color | Prevalence in African Populations | Global Prevalence |
|---|---|---|
| Brown | Majority | Most Common |
| Caramel | Common | - |
| Green | Rare | ~2% |
| Blue | Very Rare | 6-8% |
