In this powerful episode, Regina Lawless sits down with author and speaker Marial Dhal to explore how resilience, hope, and education helped him survive the trauma of being a child soldier in South Sudan. This conversation dives into healing after war, overcoming childhood trauma, and reclaiming your life after unthinkable adversity.

Marial shares his extraordinary journey from being abducted as a young boy during the South Sudan civil war to finding healing, family, and purpose through education and basketball. His story is a profound reminder that your circumstances do not define your destiny.

If you're interested in resilience, trauma healing, human rights stories, or personal transformation, this episode will move and inspire you.

• What resilience looks like in the face of life-altering trauma
• How education can become a lifeline and motivator for change
• The reality of child soldiers and the impact of war on youth
• How basketball became Marial’s therapy, structure, and healing
• The role of family, community, and culture in recovery
• Why hope and humility remain central to Marial’s journey
• How your story—and your suffering—can become a source of purpose

Marial Dhal is an author, speaker, and survivor of the South Sudan civil war. Forced into the life of a child soldier as a young boy, he escaped unimaginable violence and rebuilt his life with courage and hope. Today he uses storytelling to educate and inspire others about resilience, displacement, and the power of healing.

00:00 Introduction to Resilience and Hope

03:01 Life in South Sudan: Culture and Community

10:28 The Journey to Education: A Desire to Learn

18:47 Abduction into War: The Reality of Child Soldiers

26:24 Coping with Trauma: The Psychological Journey

31:33 The Reality of Being a Soldier

34:05 Indoctrination and Identity in Warfare

36:47 Coping with Trauma and Acceptance

38:05 The Journey to Escape

40:26 The Kindness of Strangers

41:52 Discovering Basketball in Refugee Life

46:03 Basketball as Therapy and Opportunity

52:49 Family and Joy in the Present

54:13 Sharing My Story Through My Book

✨ Book: Where is the Boy?: Escaping My Time as a Child Soldier

📧 Publicist Contact: Ni Ema Baptista | [email protected]

Website: https://www.reginalawless.com

Book: Do You — https://www.amazon.com/Do-You-Journey-Learning-MeaningFULL/dp/1639080783

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Podcast: The BlissFULL Life

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