Nazrawi  Sampson WOLDEMICHAEL

Missing Person - Nazrawi Woldemichael  Nazrawi Samson Woldemichael, 19, has not been seen since leaving his North Hobart unit on Sunday, October 16. Picture: SUPPLIED

Missing since: 
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Last seen: 
North Hobart TAS
Responsible jurisdiction: 
TAS
Year of birth: 
1996
 
Gender: 
Male
Height: 
170cm
Build: 
Thin
Hair: 
Black
Short
Curly

 

Eyes: 
Brown
Complexion: 
Olive

 

 

Circumstances

Nazrawi Sampson Woldemichael, then aged 20, was last seen exiting his apartment in North Hobart, Tasmania at around 5pm on the 9th of October 2016. There have been no confirmed sightings of him since this time.

Despite intensive searching and ongoing enquiries, Nazrawi has not been located. He is described as about 170cm tall, of thin build, with curly short black hair.

Anyone with information which may assist police to locate Naz is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Police say they just want to know if missing Hobart man Nazrawi Samson Woldemichael is OK

POLICE have appealed for public help to find a North Hobart man who has been missing for more than a week.

The Mercury October 18, 2016

POLICE have appealed for public help to find a North Hobart man who has been missing for more than a week.

Officers today urged anyone who knew the whereabouts of Nazrawi Samson Woldemichael to assure him he was not in any trouble with police but they were concerned for his welfare.

The 19-year-old — described as about 170cm tall and of thin build with curly black hair — was last seen leaving his unit at Trinity House in North Hobart on Sunday, October 9.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, with anonymity guaranteed, or the Hobart Police Station on 6230 2111.

Distraught family pleads for news of missing son Nazrawi “Naz” Samson Woldemichael

The devastated family of Nazrawi “Naz” Samson Woldemichael has made a heartfelt plea for the Hobart man’s safe return.

The 19-year-old hasn’t been seen since leaving his unit at Trinity House at North Hobart on October 9 about 8am.

Police believe he may think he is in trouble because of the attention his disappearance has caused but stress he has nothing to fear.

His mother Hirut begged anyone with information to come forward.

“I am worried that something happened to you, please come home, you are not in trouble,” she said through tears.

“If anyone saw him or anyone knows anything, if you just tell me he is alive — I don’t want to lose my son.”

His family last spoke to him on September 22 but said there was nothing unusual about his mood. Mr Woldemichael suffered serious injuries in a road crash in 2014, which his mother thinks may be affecting him.

Police have few leads on what might have happened to the University of Tasmania arts student.

“At this stage we have such little information on Naz and the days leading up this disappearance, so we’re just really trying to have any friends or family that may know or may have seen him to come forward,” Sergeant Louise O’Connor said.

She said he was in “no trouble at all” and they were just seeking confirmation he was “alive and well”.

Police confirmed his bank and social media accounts had not been active since his disappearance.

Mr Woldemichael is about 170cm tall, and thin, with curly short black hair. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or the Hobart Police Station on 6230 2111.

Missing Hobart teen left unit empty

 

Police say the last confirmed sighting of missing teenager Nazrawi Woldemicheal was outside his North Hobart unit when he dumped bedding in a rubbish bin.

A Hobart teen missing for more than three week was last seen dumping his bedding in a rubbish bin and left his unit completely empty.

Police say CCTV footage of Nazrawi Woldemicheal on October 9 shows the 19-year-old dumping his bedding outside his North Hobart unit.

"His unit at the time was left completely empty - he left the keys and everything inside," Sergeant Sarah Crabtree said on Wednesday.

Mr Woldemicheal's worried mother has not heard from him since September 22.

Unusual movements in Mr Woldemicheal's bank account before his disappearance has also unsettled his family.

"Four or five weeks prior to disappearing he was withdrawing most of his money the same day he was getting it," Darron Lehmann, Mr Woldemicheal's stepfather told reporters.

It was unusual because he would normally use his bank card for purchases, Mr Lehmann added.

Police say Mr Woldemicheal has history of mental illness and they do not believe he has left the state or died.

There have also been several unconfirmed sightings of the teenager in North Hobart and the CBD area.

"We've still got people coming to us saying that they have some theories about where he is," Serg Crabtree said.

His mother Hirut is struggling without her son, and has begged him to come home or just to make contact.

"I don't think our life would be the same without him," she said.

"He's my baby."

 

The Unmissables: Bringing back the human stories of missed loved ones

Posted 

A Hobart family is using art to show the real people behind missing person statistics through the national project The Unmissables.

Nazrawi (Naz) Samson Woldemichael is a talented artist, the youngest of his family, and a shy and passionate young man.

He has not been seen since October 9.

His mother, Hirut Woldemichael Seboka, said not knowing his whereabouts was a horror she had to face every day.

"I have a constant pain or heaviness on my chest that I can't explain.

"I don't know how I can express it. I'm just waiting."

Every year 38,000 Australians go missing and research by the Federal Government shows that one in 12 people are directly impacted.

The Unmissables is a project run by the Missing Persons Advocacy Network (MPAN) which works with families to create artworks that show the human faces behind the statistics.

Families are connected with a writer and an artist to create a piece about the missing person to show them as a human being.

Using art to introduce the real Naz

Ms Seboka's lounge room is dominated by two large canvases painted by Naz.

She has boxes of his artworks that she examines to try to find answers to why he appears to have walked away from his life.

"It's a constant pain for me knowing that he might be out there and he might be confused," she said.

Naz was hit by a car in 2014, leaving him with a brain injury that almost took away his ability to paint.

He suffered a couple of psychotic episodes after the brain injury and had been taking medication while living at home but stopped after he moved out.

 

MPAN put Ms Seboka in contact with author Rajith Savanadasa, who spoke to her on the phone and wrote a poem about Naz to express who he is as a person.

Artist Minky Stapleton then created an artwork based on the poem.

"The artwork that she did; it's exactly representing his work. When I saw the sample, I said 'This is it, I can see Naz'," Ms Seboka said.

She said she hoped the artwork would introduce Naz to the community not as a missing person, but as a young man, a son — as a person.

"This is a different way to reach people, to feel sympathy, to open up their eyes to see him wherever he is or to tell us if they know anything."

Speaking the same language of pain

MPAN also helps families with missing loved ones connect with each other for support.

Romany Brodribb got involved with MPAN after her brother Rye Hunt went missing while on holiday in Brazil last year.

Mr Hunt's body was found a few weeks after he disappeared.

"The first time I met Romany ... she was telling me what she goes through and I felt, 'OK, I might get better, because she passed it'," Ms Seboka said.

"It's like talking the same language.

"Even though their time [of having a missing person] is shorter, it's not like six months and 17 days of horror, but they have that understanding of the unknown, the confusion and especially the pain."

Ms Brodribb said her family donated part of the money they raised through a crowdfunding campaign to MPAN as a way to help others going through what they did.

"It's been a really unimaginable journey," she told Melanie Tait on ABC Radio Hobart.

"[MPAN is] really invaluable because when everything goes awry, you need someone to go, 'Hey, OK, it's alright, here are some guides and plans for you'."

If you have a wall or space to display the artwork for Naz, you can contact The Unmissables online.

Tasmanian rapper releases tribute to all missing persons, as the search continues for his brother

By Rhiannon Shine - ABC

Posted 

 

A Tasmanian rap artist whose younger brother disappeared more than a year ago is hoping his latest song will raise awareness about missing persons and the pain felt by those left behind.

Nazrawi (Naz) Samson Woldemichael was last seen at his home in North Hobart in October 2016.

His brother Promise Tekeste said his family has been trapped in an unimaginable nightmare ever since.

"There is a lot of chaos, a lot hopelessness, a lot of guilt about what we could have done, what we couldn't have done," he said.

"It is just being in the middle. Not having no resolve. You can't even mourn the person because you still don't know what is going on.

Promise's latest song, Missing You, was inspired by Naz's disappearance.

"When it comes to long-term missing person cases, it is hard for people to stay engaged," he said.

"So it was a way of humanising it and bringing awareness to the situation."

Promise said he felt a responsibility to write about his experience.

"I felt like I was actively doing something in order to bring awareness to my brother being missing and about other people missing," he said.

"I felt like it was one of the biggest missing posters I could put out there.

"I hope it forces people to have the discussion and also brings awareness to the fact that these are people."

Promise described his brother as "a great kid with a big heart".

"He is the opposite of me, he doesn't speak too much," he said.

"But when he does, it means something.

"He is always looking out for everybody else before he looks out for himself."

Promise partnered with the Missing Persons Advocacy Network (MPAN) to release the song and film clip on Wednesday.

MPAN Tasmania spokeswoman Romany Brodribb, whose brother Rye Hunt was a missing person in 2016, said the song would resonate with those who had been through the experience of having a missing loved one.

"Promise is giving a voice to the families and friends with missing loved ones, validating and empowering those who feel hopeless and helpless while allowing the public a powerful insight into the plight of not knowing," Ms Brodribb said.

Each year more than 38,000 people are reported missing in Australia.

While there have been no confirmed sightings of Naz, his family continues to search for him.

Anyone with information relating to missing persons is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

'The unknowing is the worst. Time doesn't exist'

 

Hirut Woldemichael is trapped in time. 

11 august  2018
Source:  9news.com.au

 

In October, her son Naz will have been missing for two years, but to her it may as well have been yesterday. In almost two years nothing has changed and everything has changed.

A talented artist with a cheeky smile, the almost 20-year-old walked out of his North Hobart unit on October 9, 2016, visited a shopping centre across the river, and was never seen again.

“I want to wake up from this,” Ms Woldemichael told 9news.com.au.

“The unknowing is the worst.

“Time doesn’t exist.”

Nazrawi Samson Woldemichael came to Hobart from Kenya as a refugee.

Settling into life in Hobart he was a shy kid, but fiercely loyal to his family. His mum remembers him waking her on the weekend with coffee or breakfast before disappearing into his bedroom to paint.

“He was expressing himself through art. I always needed to ask him the meaning [of his paintings],” Ms Woldemichael said.

His art still lines the walls of her lounge room and she mines it for clues, trying to figure out why he disappeared.

In 2014, Mr Woldemichael suffered serious head injuries in a car accident. She believes it changed him and may still be affecting him.

Later, he moved out of home into Trinity Hill youth supported accommodation, on the other side of the Derwent River which snakes through Hobart, cutting it in half. She still spoke with him regularly, sometimes twice a day.

On September 22, 2016, she invited him to have dinner with her and her partner. He initially agreed but later told her he couldn’t make it. She never heard from him again.

In the almost two years since, she has travelled the country, walking through capital cities and checking in with mental health services. She shows his photo to anyone who will look.

“I don’t know where to go,” Ms Woldemichael said.

“I have done everything I can do. I have nowhere to go. As a mother, I feel like it’s my responsibility. I tried.”

Loren O’Keeffe, the founder and CEO of the Missing Persons Advocacy Network (MPAN), has become a close friend of the family as they battle this colossal and terrible loss.

“The police are good, but this family knows our situation. They never get tired of me,” Ms Woldemichael said of the O’Keeffes.

“I don’t have to explain, without even saying much they understand. Without having them I don’t know where I’d be.”

After her brother Daniel O’Keeffe went missing in 2011, Ms O’Keeffe launched the high-profile Dan Come Home campaign and two years later founded MPAN, a non-profit which works to create awareness for missing persons and offer practical support to the families left behind.

Devastatingly, five years after he disappeared, Mr O’Keeffe’s body was found under the family home. He had taken his own life.

“She is such a strong, courageous, nurturing and marvellous woman,” Ms O’Keeffe said of Ms Woldemichael.

“Hope is so precious and it's often the only thing left once a case becomes long-term, so I try my best to foster that hope for those I work with.

“I know what they’re going through, and I know how exhausting it is to maintain public awareness for a missing loved one so it’s an honour for me to have their trust to include them in our initiatives. It’s satisfying because I can imagine how helpful that would have been when we were in that position.”

Ms O’Keeffe understands the complex suite of emotions families endure as they battle ambiguous loss – a loss without closure or understanding. A loss that is unresolved.

“Disenfranchised grief is a very complicated, niche trauma but like anything unique there’s solace in knowing you’re not alone. And although it’s not the kind of grief that lessens over time, quite the contrary, we can get better at coping with the not knowing.

“And we will always be there to listen whenever she needs us.”

Mr Woldemichael has been featured in MPAN’s Unmissables Project which connects families of missing persons with artists and writers to create pieces that help communicate the human story – not just the statistics.

Just as art was the centre of Mr Woldemichael’s universe, his family believes it could help bring him back home to theirs.

His brother Promise Tekeste is an aspiring rapper who’s been a featured artist on Triple J Unearthed. He wrote a song about his brother’s disappearance.

Mr Tekeste told the ABC he wrote the song as a way of “humanising” missing persons and “bringing awareness to the situation”.

“I felt like I was actively doing something in order to bring awareness to my brother being missing and about other people missing,” he said.

“I felt like it was one of the biggest missing posters I could put out there.”

Mr Woldemichael was seen walking from his Trinity Hill unit about 7.50am on October 9, 2016, after dumping his belongings in a rubbish bin. At some point that morning he crossed the Tasman Bridge back to his mother’s side of the river. He was last seen at Eastlands Shopping Centre in Rosny at 11.10am.

Finding out what he did next will be key to finding him.

Police have explored the possibility Mr Woldemichael met with foul play, or that he took his own life, but have no concrete evidence to support either theory. Investigating officer Sergeant Kim Norton said police have received all kinds of leads, many unreliable. When they got a lead that he was in Western Australia, local police were tasked with finding him – to no avail.

Constable Andrew Lockley has been the Missing Persons Coordinator at Tasmania Police for the last 12 months. He pored over the initial police investigation and is working to keep the public’s attention on the case.

“Everything was followed up. Everything we could do we did,” he told 9news.com.au.

“Somebody knows something that would advance the investigation and whether over the passage of time their view on maintaining their silence changes that would certainly help.

“If someone who remained silent over the last two years decided they wanted to help us we would really like to help out the Woldemichael family and get some answers for them.

“If they want to speak with us anonymously that could be done as well.”

Ms O’Keeffe believes finding missing persons should not solely be a police task, but a community effort.

“When one person is missing, at least 12 others connected to them are directly impacted financially, emotionally and psychologically, so this issue affects far more than the 38,000 Australians reported missing every year,” she said.

“It’s time we recognise our collective responsibility.

“Psychologists around the world consider an ambiguous loss to be the most stressful type of grief there is, and living with it over an extended period of time is utter torment.”

Ms Woldemichael knows the next she hears about her son may not be good news and she’s ready for it. She just wants to move forward.

“I have no idea where he is but I believe someone knows something,” she said.

“Right now we’re living in darkness.

“It doesn’t matter what information you have – good or bad – please come forward.”

Going missing is not a crime. If you have been reported missing, you can let police know you are safe and well. Your privacy will be protected.

National Missing Persons Week is held in the first week of August each year. If you have information about a missing person contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. You can remain anonymous.

Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 13 or beyond blue on 1300 22 4636.

*Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.

*MensLineAustralia 1300 78 99 78.

Multicultural Mental Health Australia www.mmha.org.au