I was born in a tiny village of Kerchomba, about 140 kilometres north of Juba, the capital of South Sudan. In 1990 at the age of 10, I was taken, under the pretext of education, by the Sudan People Liberation Movement rebels fighting the government of Sudan at the time. This forceful removal resulted in prolonged suffering and torment from the rebel leaders. The man-made adversities which I endured included torture, forced labour, sleep and food deprivation resulted into great destitution.

I slept in cold and wet squalid conditions with no blankets and only hessian bags to keep me warm. The ordeal continued until 2000 when I escaped to Kenya to seek refuge. Although there was shelter, rationed food and basic security in the camp, the eight-year old Kakuma camp, located in north-western Kenya, presented unique challenges. Being a refugee was the defining movement of my life in that I finally felt that hope was something that could be possible again. At first I thought I had arrived in a place where dreaming was possible, hopefully for the last time, only to realise the hopelessness and despair invading my life again. This adversity lasted for another four years until hope, that was real and tangible, was afforded to migrate to Australia. I arrived in Perth, Western Australia, in 2004.