How a child of war became a warrior for peace: Malual’s Story
Can a simple ball change the life of a child impacted by war? Malual, a global peace activist in his 30s, knows it can. “If not for the blue peace ball, I could easily have become a child soldier in South Sudan.”
Malual’s childhood was torn apart in 2001 by civil war. Just seven years old, he and his family fled Sudan, leaving everything behind for an uncertain future in a northern Ugandan refugee camp.
Surrounded by refugees from diverse Sudanese tribes, Malual’s new home was a hotbed of social tensions, enflamed by an inability to communicate. “We couldn’t speak to people from other tribes,” he remembers. “Because we didn’t know their languages.”
Amid the roiling chaos, Malual found solace and purpose in the camp classroom. “School became my sanctuary,” he says. Malual was a bright student, and his teachers urged him to join Right To Play’s school programs, which helped children develop conflict resolution and cooperation skills through play. “It was a bright light at a very dark moment,” says Malual.
Today, Malual uses the skills he learned as a child in his work as a peacebuilder in South Sudan. He works tirelessly to provide youth with the leadership and skill-building opportunities that were given to him as a child. And he travels across East Africa to promote peace, so that young people can grow up in a world different from the one he faced as a child.
Keeping the blue ball of peace afloat
As a young boy in Uganda, Malual’s favourite activities were the ones with the blue ball. In Right To Play programs, the blue ball represented peace. The focus of one of the games was to keep the peace alive by keeping the ball afloat. In follow-up discussions, Malual and his peers and coaches talked about the importance of communication and resolving conflicts, how to make friends and build teamwork.
“When we played with the blue ball, everything outside the team faded away and only the team mattered,” recalls Malual. “We became brothers and forgot that we were from different tribes. Instead, we learned to win as a team with diversity.”
The program’s activities lifted his spirits and eased the anxiety he felt from having witnessed the brutalities of conflict. The games freed him to communicate without words and build trust in others.
“I learned the spirit of forgiveness and tolerance,” he says. “Otherwise, I would’ve remained tribal-minded, against peace.”
Without the power of play, Malual believes he would have done what so many of his friends did – become a child solider, embroiled in warfare instead of spreading peace. War had found Malual, but he was now choosing another way.
Empowering today’s youth
Malual returned to South Sudan in 2013 only to face resurgent conflicts that forced him to flee to Uganda once more. Tired of divisive tribal differences, the young visionary made a pivotal decision: to “live what he had learned” in Right to Play’s programs.
Galvanizing youth from polarized tribes, he founded the African Youth Action Network (AYAN), which advocates for refugee children’s rights and safety, inspiring thousands to the possibility of peace over the inevitability of war.
Now a law school graduate, speaker, youth advocate, and community-builder working in both Uganda and South Sudan, Malual lives a very different life from the soldier’s life he could so easily have led.
AYAN has built several youth centres in Uganda that help youth develop various skills and stay active. The centres are located in settlements that host refugees from South Sudan, Congo, and other neighboring countries. Hundreds of youth participate in the programs. AYAN has grown to employ 15 staff, and has plans to build more centres and expand the reach and impact of the organization's programs in Uganda.
“These youth primarily come from refugee settlements in Uganda. They have faced incredible hardship. AYAN’s centres are safe and supportive spaces where youth can forget their troubles and learn new skills.”
Keeping the peace alive
Today, Malual’s passion and work is focused on promoting peace and reconciliation in communities in South Sudan in support of the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation, and Healing’s 2018 peace agreement. He is committed to contributing to the peace process in South Sudan, including the ongoing Tumaini peace talks in Nairobi, an initiative by the Kenyan government to bring together groups that did not sign the 2018 peace deal. The goal is to achieve a comprehensive peace agreement for South Sudan.
In January 2025, he organized a peace conference between two communities that aimed to foster dialogue and understanding between the communities, leading to a reduction in violence. He often travels across the country visiting communities and using his communication and conflict-resolution skills to help people see the value of peace.
“Local peace initiatives are incredibly important in promoting peace,” says Malual. “Local engagement and dialogue can often be more effective than high-level peace processes in achieving lasting peace.”
Malual’s singular focus on keeping the blue ball of peace afloat is a testament to the power of play in the lives of youth living in fragile contexts, where a ball is never just a ball, but instead a symbol of a better future.
