Episode
Launching a new life from a refugee camp, with Mary Maker - UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador
- Podcast
- Awake At Night
- Published
- Jul 14, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2868
- Processing state
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Summary
War is Mary Maker's earliest memory. Born in South Sudan and named Nyiriak — meaning "war" — she spent her youth living and working in one of the world's largest refugee camps. Now a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, she is raising her voice on behalf of those she left behind, helping refugee students land scholarships to top universities. "I want to be seen. I want to be heard. I want to be acknowledged. I want to be at the table, making decisions and feeling like a part of something. Are you able to see us? Are you? Are you able to go beyond the news and really understand that this is someone like you?" After her family fled to safety, Mary built a new life of opportunity through education and hard work – finding her feet, and her voice, on stage. In this episode, she shares how she overcame a childhood marred by death and conflict, and how theater became both her refuge and her path forward. "You're taking this new title, the refugee ... and you see the UNHCR logo, with the hands holding each other. And I remember my mom trying to spell it out for me, UNHCR. And she's like, we're safe. I think we made it." Edited transcript, photos, multimedia and more at the AAN website: https://www.un.org/en/awake-at-night/s13-mary-maker-launching-a-new-life-from-a-refugee-camp Podcast full video available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8kCtNQJGf4s