Ezibon Saadalla Khamis is Humanitarian Communications Coordinator with Save the Children South Sudan. He is passionate about his job, especially working directly with children and knowing every story, photo and video he captures helps to amplify their voices for a brighter future. Here, he explains what drives him.
I was a street kid and lived in a world which offered me little hope. Born in 1989 in Hai Kuba, a village in Yambio near the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo, I lived most of my life in a conflict zone and without a father.
My mother sacrificed everything to make sure that my sister, brother and I attended any form of education, despite classrooms often being replaced by trenches as we hid from bombs and gunfire. My father left us to go for medical treatment in Khartoum in Sudan when I was very young but as war broke out, he could not get back to us. We lost contact for more than a decade, and I didn’t see him again until South Sudan got independence in 2011.
When I was aged about nine, my uncle, a pastor, promised my father that he would take one of his sons to Uganda to study. During a mission trip to Yambio, he and my mother agreed that I would be the one to go. I still remember her words:
Go and study hard so that one day you can return and help the family.
Leaving her broke my heart but I carried that promise with me. I was sent to Arua in northern Uganda but my uncle was rarely there as he travelled so much with his pastoral work and working with missionaries. He left me with a family who abused me. I escaped several times, but I didn’t know where I was running to.
But after several months of abuse, at the age of about 10, I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I fled and ended up on the streets with nowhere to go. Some nights, friends sneaked me into their homes; other nights I slept in mosques, the church and schools.
Despite the turbulence in my life, I refused to give up on my education – my mother’s voice stayed with me.
Save the Children
I earned some small money carrying goods in a market, and played the trumpet in the school band, earning tips that helped me pay for tuition at school, clothing and books.
Despite the chaos, I excelled and passed my primary school exams at the age of 11 with top marks, ranking among the best in the district. My “street family” celebrated with me and word spread to my uncle, who was shocked to find out I had been living alone. I chose not to return to his house, but a kind stranger gave me shelter for a year.
Over time, my home became a refuge for other street children, with my door always open. My father found out about what had happened to me and stepped in to help fund my education. But my experiences – and the stories I heard from countless children – fueled me with a determination to change the narrative.
At university, I studied Computer Science alongside Media and Communications. I was earning some money from my art skills and adopted three children who came to live with me, ensuring they went to school.
In 2015 I moved to Juba to look for work. After struggling for months to get a job, I turned to my passion – children’s voices. I pitched the idea of child-focused radio programmes to different radio stations, where children themselves could advocate for their rights and share their stories.
Then my break came. In 2016, I was given an opportunity at City FM, one of the most popular private radio stations in South Sudan.
The show became a platform for children, many of whom went on to become radio presenters and child rights advocates. I also produced illustrated books concerning issues affecting children in South Sudan such as gender-based violence, child marriage, conflict resolution, danger of mines, and how to avoid diseases, among others.
These books were used by non-government organisations such as UNICEF, Save the Children and some government agencies. Proceeds from the books funded my visits to camps for displaced people, orphanages and street children where I could share stories of hope. On the back of that UNICEF invited me to train child reporters in South Sudan who continue to raise children’s voices nationwide today.
It was in 2021 that I saw a vacancy at Save the Children - my dream organisation. I applied with confidence. Who could tell these stories better than someone who had lived them?
I was hired as Humanitarian Communications Officer and within 16 months was promoted to Coordinator.
With support from an incredible team and through the country’s Child Parliament, I helped launch a national children’s campaign – “South Sudan We Want Campaign” – a pioneering platform that lets children share their voices on issues affecting them.
Children have used this platform to directly engage with national leaders, advocating for change in critical areas such as education, protection, and peace. One notable success came when children engaged with the former Minister of Defense, calling for education structures free from military interference.
Within a month, the Minister responded by confirming the evacuation of 7 out of 11 schools previously occupied by the army - a significant step toward safeguarding children’s right to education. Since then, I have travelled to about eight of the 10 states in South Sudan, documenting children’s stories and driving advocacy that has drawn international support and influenced government action.
Every smile from a child reminds me why I do this work. I was once in their place. I know what it means to grow up disadvantaged, unheard and unseen. That is why I will never stop raising children’s voices and telling their stories – for hope, for change, and for a brighter future.”
