A former refugee turned local hero, Elijah Buol still searches for answers to questions that plagued his traumatic childhood as an orphan of civil war.
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"Why me? Why did I have to lose my mum (and dad)? I was a little boy," he told AAP.
The newly appointed CEO of international non-profit Act for Peace was aged 16 when he arrived in Australia in 2002, as an unaccompanied minor nearing the end of the second South Sudanese civil war.
Three years after his mother died, Mr Buol was aged nine when he learned of his father's death through a UN radio call at a refugee camp in Uganda.
"For the majority of us (refugees) who grew up in wars or witnessed displacement, those memories don't go away. They hang around with us," the 39-year-old said.
"But the beauty of that history and that exposure as people who go through war is learning how to turn those horrible experiences into strengths.
"Life is cruel and difficult, but I use this (experience) as an opportunity to make a difference."
Since his arrival Mr Buol has continued working closely with disadvantaged community members, particularly youth, to support their integration with Australian society and bridge cultural and linguistic differences.
Young and school-age children from disadvantaged backgrounds are more vulnerable to experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorders, according to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
These can manifest in high levels of anxiety, flashbacks, aggressive behaviours, social withdrawal and survivor's guilt.
The potential for post-traumatic growth and healing comes when children and adolescents are given the opportunity to process and make meaning of past traumatic experiences, the Children Australia journal reported.
Mr Buol received a Medal of the Order of Australia for his advocacy work to remove children from adult prisons, and was named Queensland's Local Hero at the Australian of the Year awards in 2019.
Widening the lens, he feels a responsibility to the more than 114 million people estimated to be displaced around the world.
Growth from trauma is not linear, Mr Buol believes, upon reliving memories while watching current situations of conflict overseas.
"Whether it's someone displaced in Gaza or Ukraine or Afghanistan, I feel like I can walk alongside them and be part of their journey," he said.
"These people are not just numbers. They are people filled with hopes and aspirations."
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Australian Associated Press
