11/08/2025
Figure 1 Paul Ruot Bayoch at the Summer Peacebuilding Institute, EMU, USA, 2018
From Refugee to Peacebuilder: A Journey Fueled by Hope
My name is Paul Ruot Bayoch, a former MEL Specialist with Shejeh Salam in Jonglei, South Sudan. I was not just a professional—I am living proof of what humanitarian assistance can achieve.
I was born on April 4, 1988, in the heart of adversity. My parents fled the brutal civil war in South Sudan and found refuge in Itang Camp, Gambella, Ethiopia. That camp became my childhood home. Life there was harsh. We survived on the lifeline extended to us by USAID, the European Union, and other generous donors. Every grain sack, every oil container, every schoolbook bore the emblem: “USAID – From the American People.” That message wasn’t just a label—it was a promise. A promise that someone, somewhere, cared.
Education was supported by SAID, UNHCR, and UNICEF. It was in those makeshift classrooms that I dared to dream—of peace, of purpose, of returning home to rebuild what war had shattered.
That dream stayed with me. In November 2016, it began to take shape. I was contracted as a Master Trainer for the Morning Star Trauma Awareness Program under VISTAS. For three years, I travelled across Akobo, Rubkona, Panyijar, and Fangak, training over 2,000 stakeholders. We talked about trauma, cycles of violence, and the power of healing. We laid the groundwork for reconciliation—one conversation, one community at a time.
In 2020, I had the opportunity to work with the Norwegian Refugee Council as an Information, Counselling, and Legal Assistance Officer. The experience was exhilarating.
In 2021, I stepped into a new role as MEL Specialist for Jonglei. This position gave me the tools to address some of our region’s most pressing challenges: intercommunal conflict, cattle raiding, child abduction, and youth unemployment. I wasn’t just analyzing data—I was helping shape solutions. I became a driving force for peace in my own country."