When Yared was seven years old his father died, and his mother sent him to go live with an uncle, who was a priest of the Ethiopian Orthodox tradition, one of the oldest churches in the world.
Ketika Yared berumur tujuh tahun, ayahnya meninggal, dan ibunya menyuruhnya tinggal dengan pamannya, seorang pendeta dari tradisi Ortodoks Etiopia, salah satu gereja tertua di dunia.