Aliir Aliir sits in the stands of the Sydney Cricket Ground, clad in the red and white of the Sydney Swans, and looks across to the posts where he dreams of scoring goals.
?I?ve been still playing reserves, [as] I?m still developing, hopefully my opportunity comes,? the 19-year-old Kenyan-born Sudanese refugee said.
Aliir will be the face of this year?s Refugee Breakfast 2014, to be held on World Refugee Day.
Every year on June 20, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recognises the millions of refugees fleeing persecution and danger around the world and honours their resilience.
Aliir will be joined by former Australian Test Cricket Captain Ian Chappell and Phil Kearns, former Wallabies Captain and the Australia for UNHCR Special Representative.
However, Aliir?s beginnings were far more modest.
?I spent my time in Kakuma Refugee Camp playing soccer . . . all I remember is playing sport, with my family,? he said.
?The war was still happening and my Mum wanted a better education for the family, so we came to Australia and it?s pretty good, down here.?
Aliir was eight-years-old when he arrived in Australia with his family. He had an uncle living in the country at the time, who helped him with the required paperwork to be registered as a refugee, but even then, Aliir was still moving from place to place.
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