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Simon Marot
Touloung

A world without poverty and inequality is possible. We must build it now.

@ Gates Archive/Jonathan Torgovnik

Simon Marot
Touloung

A world without poverty and inequality is possible. We must build it now.

Simon Marot's Story

As a child, I experienced the challenges of living in a refugee camp. I am now committed to working towards a world free of violence and conflict. I am co-founder and Executive Director at African Youth Action Network (AYAN).

At just 8 years old, I was forced to flee for my life.  In danger of being recruited as child soldiers by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, me and my cousins fled South Sudan to seek refuge in Uganda. For 21 days and 21 nights, we walked, fearful for our safety, with little food or water, and reliant on the help of strangers we met along the way. Finally making it across the border to Uganda by September of 2000, me and my cousins arrived at the Imvepi Refugee settlement.

 

A world without poverty and inequality is possible. We must build it now. 

 

The conditions in the refugee camp were extremely difficult – the LRA were on the lookout for children who had escaped from South Sudan, healthcare services were poor and available food often ran out weeks before the next delivery of supplies was due.  Despite these challenges, I was able to start primary school in Uganda when I was nine, walking fourteen kilometers a day to attend. Whilst I suffered deep trauma from what I had seen of the war, my commitment to my education remained strong: I later won a prestigious DAFI scholarship.

 

Following graduating from Makerere University in Kampala, I became heavily involved in working with young people in refugee settlements, helping them to acquire the skills to help themselves, forge a path in life and contribute to a peaceful world. Thanks to this work with refugees, I was appointed as a member of the Global Youth Advisory Council by UNHCR in 2017 and to the first Youth Advisory council of the African Union in 2018.

Media pack

You can download Simon’s story and headshot here. To contact Simon about an interview or speaking at an event please contact us.

@ Gates Archive/Jonathan Torgovnik