Emmanuel Jal

I'm still a soldier, fighting with my pen and paper for peace till the day I cease.

Education is the only solution for peace.

What music does to me, it helps me balance my inner pressure so that I can deal with the forces outside that are trying to pressure me.

In Africa, music is for everything, Music was originally used for community. That was what music was for.

There's no pride in having been a child soldier.

The wealthiest Sudanese don't know what war is. Their children are safe in school.

A lot of child soldiers lose their minds.

I lost my childhood. I didn't play football or video games. Or have birthdays or the love of a family.

We lack role models who can inspire our young people to make change.

I don't know anywhere where the people are hungrier for education than South Sudan.

I would advise dancers, musicians and others in the entertainment industry to take up yoga, as it clears the mind and creates a sense of balance and stillness which is important for any performing artist.

When I first went to school, I was fighting all the time. The soldier mentality was still in me. I kept getting expelled. I found it hard to take instructions from anyone who wasn't a military commander.