High school miracle: Ethiopian child priests scale mountain to study in church

By Bunmi Adigun @Bunmi_adigun

HUNDREDS of feet above sea level is probably not the most ideal place to put a church however these powerful images show just that

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Children read ancient holy texts in the churches

Scattered around the mountains of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, are ancient churches that have been carved into the side of jagged rock faces.

Believed to have been built over a thousand years ago the remote mountains have been a place of worship and study for Orthodox Christians in the region hoping to get closer to God literally and figuratively.

Many of the children and teachers live within the churches

Dedicated men and young boys have risked their lives for over a millennia to study texts written in ancient Tigrinya - the language spoken in the region.

Children grow to become deacons and priests in the church, a highly respected position within their society.

Climbing up the mountain can be incredibly dangerous as they use no safety equipment

Intrepid photographer Asher Svidensky, 26, took the incredible snaps during a 10 day stay in the area.

Families often send their children up into the mountains as a way to escape poverty

He said: “I wanted to challenge myself to create new work in a completely different environment, this is how Ethiopia came up. I had only 10 days for the photo trip so I decided to focus most of my time in the northern part of Ethiopia since I understood it had less tourists in comparison to the rest of the country.”

Many of the children at the church grow up to become deacons or priests

The brave students and teachers show their dedication everyday by risking their lives for their faith scaling the rocky mountains, some even live in the hollowed out churches.

Asher said: “Some teachers have lived in the mountains for over 40 years and the kids who climb up there every day for their lessons sleep up there since they have no place to go.”

Photographer Asher Svidensky took the amazing pictures during a 10 day trip to the region

Most of the children that attend the churches have been brought there by their family seeking a better life for them as farmers in the region struggle to provide food to eat for their kids, the churches are seen as a better alternative to a life of hardship.

Some of the teachers in the churches have lived there for more than 40 years

The 26-year-old photographer said: “Most children move to the school as they are looking for a better life or their families wish them to have a better lifestyle than they can provide. As you know there is a serious drought in Ethiopia these days and while more and more farmers fail to earn enough to survive they are still expected to donate food to the church, making becoming a deacon the only way to stay away from hunger in the area. Some kids go back to help their families on the weekends and some don’t."

The churches have been in existence for more than a thousand years

Taking the pictures of the students and their teachers was no easy feat, as Asher - a former soldier - was forced to navigate across jagged rocks that would chip away as he climbed up the mountain.

He said: “The number of times a stone broke or I slipped on the mountain face were too many to count, some falls were not too painful though.”