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My Journey of Hope | Nyakor Riam | TEDxSevenoaksSchool


thank you my name is Nicole and I’m just

thank you my name is Nicole and I’m just going to tell you about my my story and

going to tell you about my my story and

going to tell you about my my story and which is entitled my journey of hope so

which is entitled my journey of hope so

which is entitled my journey of hope so let me start from the beginning i was

let me start from the beginning i was

let me start from the beginning i was born in a small town called while in

born in a small town called while in

born in a small town called while in south sudan and i was born around one

south sudan and i was born around one

south sudan and i was born around one thirty in the morning and about oh five

thirty in the morning and about oh five

thirty in the morning and about oh five thirty in the morning my village was

thirty in the morning my village was

thirty in the morning my village was attacked and my mom had just given birth

attacked and my mom had just given birth

attacked and my mom had just given birth to me and i was about less than four

to me and i was about less than four

to me and i was about less than four hours old my grandma had picked me up

hours old my grandma had picked me up

hours old my grandma had picked me up and ran one direction and I my mother

and ran one direction and I my mother

and ran one direction and I my mother had ran another direction both of them

had ran another direction both of them

had ran another direction both of them for that each other had been killed

for that each other had been killed

for that each other had been killed within the raid we didn’t meet up until

within the raid we didn’t meet up until

within the raid we didn’t meet up until 12 noon the next day outside the Pyramid

12 noon the next day outside the Pyramid

12 noon the next day outside the Pyramid of a well-known prophet called moon dang

of a well-known prophet called moon dang

of a well-known prophet called moon dang and that’s where I was named your core

and that’s where I was named your core

and that’s where I was named your core which means child of war we traveled

which means child of war we traveled

which means child of war we traveled with community leaders and members

with community leaders and members

with community leaders and members through south sudan walking the distance

through south sudan walking the distance

through south sudan walking the distance from saying london to leeds settling in

from saying london to leeds settling in

from saying london to leeds settling in one place having to get up and move to

one place having to get up and move to

one place having to get up and move to another place because rebels were coming

another place because rebels were coming

another place because rebels were coming in attacking and killing and raping

in attacking and killing and raping

in attacking and killing and raping women children killing men and then we

women children killing men and then we

women children killing men and then we finally settled in khartoum in the

finally settled in khartoum in the

finally settled in khartoum in the internal displaced unit and at the time

internal displaced unit and at the time

internal displaced unit and at the time i think was when 1989 england was

i think was when 1989 england was

i think was when 1989 england was allowing refugees to come into to settle

allowing refugees to come into to settle

allowing refugees to come into to settle into england and we came as refugees in

into england and we came as refugees in

into england and we came as refugees in england and that’s where my home is

england and that’s where my home is

england and that’s where my home is being ever since i came and lived in

being ever since i came and lived in

being ever since i came and lived in london and i was educated they’re from

london and i was educated they’re from

london and i was educated they’re from very young age and my father who

very young age and my father who

very young age and my father who actually studied in England before we

actually studied in England before we

actually studied in England before we came came over as refugees he

came came over as refugees he

came came over as refugees he reinstalled me about the reason why I

reinstalled me about the reason why I

reinstalled me about the reason why I was here I was one of the lucky ones he

was here I was one of the lucky ones he

was here I was one of the lucky ones he made it really important to me that

made it really important to me that

made it really important to me that education is the key to everything

education is the key to everything

education is the key to everything developing yourself inside and out he

developing yourself inside and out he

developing yourself inside and out he also said not to remember the past not

also said not to remember the past not

also said not to remember the past not to remember you’re not to forget sorry

to remember you’re not to forget sorry

to remember you’re not to forget sorry your history so through that

your history so through that

your history so through that I am worked hard at school I was the

I am worked hard at school I was the

I am worked hard at school I was the first to graduate from university as a

first to graduate from university as a

first to graduate from university as a nurse the elds of six children and my

nurse the elds of six children and my

nurse the elds of six children and my siblings then father later and in 2010 I

siblings then father later and in 2010 I

siblings then father later and in 2010 I was lucky enough to meet another young

was lucky enough to meet another young

was lucky enough to meet another young South News lady who we then build a

South News lady who we then build a

South News lady who we then build a company called tamam global and what we

company called tamam global and what we

company called tamam global and what we want to achieve from that was to

want to achieve from that was to

want to achieve from that was to rehabilitate and develop

rehabilitate and develop

rehabilitate and develop entrepreneurship within people living

entrepreneurship within people living

entrepreneurship within people living here to go back to South Sudan and try

here to go back to South Sudan and try

here to go back to South Sudan and try and build a bit of a better life there

and build a bit of a better life there

and build a bit of a better life there south of them was the newest country in

south of them was the newest country in

south of them was the newest country in 2011 that’s when we got our independence

2011 that’s when we got our independence

2011 that’s when we got our independence and a lot of people suffered through

and a lot of people suffered through

and a lot of people suffered through that and I think that was a day of

that and I think that was a day of

that and I think that was a day of change that was a day of hope for a lot

change that was a day of hope for a lot

change that was a day of hope for a lot of people my mother my father my

of people my mother my father my

of people my mother my father my grandparents my auntie’s that we live in

grandparents my auntie’s that we live in

grandparents my auntie’s that we live in here so i think when i went back in 2012

here so i think when i went back in 2012

here so i think when i went back in 2012 i saw such i felt like it was a missing

i saw such i felt like it was a missing

i saw such i felt like it was a missing piece in the puzzle even though london

piece in the puzzle even though london

piece in the puzzle even though london is my home nothing felt complete until i

is my home nothing felt complete until i

is my home nothing felt complete until i went back home and I felt like yeah now

went back home and I felt like yeah now

went back home and I felt like yeah now I know my purpose and that was to

I know my purpose and that was to

I know my purpose and that was to embrace the reason why I was I guess

embrace the reason why I was I guess

embrace the reason why I was I guess lucky enough to survive what I survived

lucky enough to survive what I survived

lucky enough to survive what I survived I was first scouted at the age of 14 as

I was first scouted at the age of 14 as

I was first scouted at the age of 14 as a model and I’ve been joined doing that

a model and I’ve been joined doing that

a model and I’ve been joined doing that traveling around the world doing catwalk

traveling around the world doing catwalk

traveling around the world doing catwalk shows do photoshoots being treated like

shows do photoshoots being treated like

shows do photoshoots being treated like a queen but through that meeting so many

a queen but through that meeting so many

a queen but through that meeting so many amazing people learn about different

amazing people learn about different

amazing people learn about different cultures and again through that I also

cultures and again through that I also

cultures and again through that I also got to do some acting work and still

got to do some acting work and still

got to do some acting work and still doing my acting work now so I was lucky

doing my acting work now so I was lucky

doing my acting work now so I was lucky enough to bump into a carton director

enough to bump into a carton director

enough to bump into a carton director who was looking for someone to do a

who was looking for someone to do a

who was looking for someone to do a online campaign called go free which

online campaign called go free which

online campaign called go free which actually complimented my story because

actually complimented my story because

actually complimented my story because it was about a young girl who left Sudan

it was about a young girl who left Sudan

it was about a young girl who left Sudan came to England worked as a model and

came to England worked as a model and

came to England worked as a model and now is free and I did that for war child

now is free and I did that for war child

now is free and I did that for war child tara thai than if most of you have heard

tara thai than if most of you have heard

tara thai than if most of you have heard about what war charity does it helps

about what war charity does it helps

about what war charity does it helps people that have gone who have been more

people that have gone who have been more

people that have gone who have been more children in in war-torn countries

children in in war-torn countries

children in in war-torn countries through that I set up loads of events

through that I set up loads of events

through that I set up loads of events with Connie one of our first events was

with Connie one of our first events was

with Connie one of our first events was of course the independence of South

of course the independence of South

of course the independence of South Sudan and then we also did a like a a

Sudan and then we also did a like a a

Sudan and then we also did a like a a youth you’ve talked what we had members

youth you’ve talked what we had members

youth you’ve talked what we had members from the community coming up on stage

from the community coming up on stage

from the community coming up on stage talking about the situation that is

talking about the situation that is

talking about the situation that is happening back in South Sudan and what

happening back in South Sudan and what

happening back in South Sudan and what can we do in a diaspora here what can we

can we do in a diaspora here what can we

can we do in a diaspora here what can we do realistically and how we can help the

do realistically and how we can help the

do realistically and how we can help the development and the rehabilitation of

development and the rehabilitation of

development and the rehabilitation of the people in South Sudan as well as the

the people in South Sudan as well as the

the people in South Sudan as well as the best but all around the world the

best but all around the world the

best but all around the world the sassanids diaspora there and the

sassanids diaspora there and the

sassanids diaspora there and the community here were really amazing and

community here were really amazing and

community here were really amazing and getting together bringing great ideas

getting together bringing great ideas

getting together bringing great ideas and then food that we was able to get a

and then food that we was able to get a

and then food that we was able to get a very known refugee and a child soldier

very known refugee and a child soldier

very known refugee and a child soldier Emmanuel JAL and I never seen a call

Emmanuel JAL and I never seen a call

Emmanuel JAL and I never seen a call dynamic he also came down and did a

dynamic he also came down and did a

dynamic he also came down and did a conference so a concept for us and that

conference so a concept for us and that

conference so a concept for us and that was amazing a lot of people turned out

was amazing a lot of people turned out

was amazing a lot of people turned out for that and really got a lot of a lot

for that and really got a lot of a lot

for that and really got a lot of a lot of good impact from there so yeah and

of good impact from there so yeah and

of good impact from there so yeah and I’m just going to end it there and I

I’m just going to end it there and I

I’m just going to end it there and I hope you did get something from from for

hope you did get something from from for

hope you did get something from from for my story and thank you so much for

my story and thank you so much for

my story and thank you so much for having me and thank you

having me and thank you

having me and thank you [Applause]

”

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