My sister Dawit emigrated in 2009 — we've been searching ever since

My sister Dawit set out from Mogadishu in 2009 to build a better life. The plan was for the rest of us to follow. We never did, and somewhere along the way we lost contact. The political situation made life impossible. My family made the difficult decision to leave. Back then, Dawit was 15 years old and believed the separation would be short. For the first 10 months, we received occasional calls. Dawit was working in day labor in Leicester and seemed to be doing okay. They talked about sending money home, about eventually bringing us over. Someone who knew them mentioned seeing them in 2015. Someone from our community said they'd seen Dawit in Leicester a while back, but couldn't remember exactly when. I remember playing soccer in the dusty field behind our neighborhood with Dawit. Those are the memories I hold onto. Dawit would be around 32 today. broad-shouldered, strong hands, with a weathered face. The holidays are the hardest — their empty chair at the table speaks volumes. Please, if you know anything about Dawit, reach out. We hold no grudges. Life is complicated. We just want reconnection.