My name is Mahamat Daoud, and my life has been marked by challenges no one should face. Today I am here to tell my story.

I was born in Darfur, Sudan, a region shaped by years of war. I was exiled at the age of six, when the civil war torn my community apart and forced us to flee. Even now, I remember the fear, the sound of explosions, the terror in the eyes of those fleeing alongside me.

Mahamat’s journey fleeing Sudan was marked by violence and instability

My family and I found safety in a refugee camp in eastern Chad. Life there was not easy: every day was a struggle for water, food, and medicine. I found refuge in education. Thanks to a scholarship from the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), I graduated with a degree in History. For me, reaching this milestone was both a victory and a form of redemption: I was able to reclaim a fragment of the future that had been taken from me.

Over the years, the situation in Chad became unstable, and I was forced to flee again. I traveled through deserts and unfamiliar countries, where the risk of death was always near. I believed that I had found safety when I arrived in Libya, but instead I encountered a harsh reality. I was detained without reason, solely because of the colour of my skin, and I suffered violence and abuse that I will never forget.

Despite everything, I chose not to remain silent. I took part in protests in Tripoli calling for the rights and protections of migrants on the move like me. I would not accept that our dignity had continued to be taken away. When the situation in Libya became unbearable, I continued on to Algeria and then Morocco. At the border between Nador and Melilla, I witnessed terrible scenes of violence. There, I lost a dear friend.

I was close to giving up when I decided to take one final risk and cross the sea in search of safety. I left Tunisia in a fragile boat with more than forty-five people on board. Every second felt as though it could be my last. I looked at the water and thought about everything I had left behind, and everything I might never see again.

Mahamat helps other refugees rebuild their lives

Today, I live in Italy. I speak a new language, and I am working and rebuilding my life. I carry with me my experiences and the memories of those who did not survive. For them, I support migrants stranded in Libya as a cultural mediator, breaking down language barriers and connecting people to each other.

My story is one of hardship, but also of resilience and hope. My dream is end the suffering of migrants in Libya and Tunisia, because every person deserves to be safe and every life matters.

*This story has been originally published by Centro Astalli/JRS Italy