MercyCare / News / Loung Ung shares her story at our annual Oration

Loung Ung shares her story at our annual Oration

More than 550 people came together for MercyCare’s 2018 Oration at the Hyatt Regency Perth on September 27.

Activist and author Loung Ung spoke about her journey from experiencing the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime as an orphaned young child, to overcoming the hurt and hatred she was taught as a child soldier, to reclaim her voice.

Loung is the author of bestselling memoir ‘First They Killed My Father’, which was made into a Netflix movie directed by Angelina Jolie.

Her talk had the crowd of MercyCare staff, volunteers, supporters and corporate partners captivated, as her words painted a picture of the different parts of her life as she shared her very personal story.

Loung was made an orphan at just five years old when the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia killed her parents, two sisters and 20 other relatives and forced her to train as a child soldier.

She later managed to escape Cambodia and eventually carved out a new life for herself in the United States of America.

As with all MercyCare speakers, Loung’s fascinating story promotes community understanding of issues synonymous with MercyCare’s values.

Loung tells her story to audiences around the world to foster greater understanding of refugees.

The 2018 Oration raised funds for our work to break cycles of disadvantage with refugees, new migrants and those seeking asylum.

Donations from this year’s event will go to our Keys to Life Fund, which unlocks opportunities by giving people access to support and training, such as English lessons, bridging courses, driving lessons and skills-based employment courses.

For those wanting to support the fund, donations can be made via our website

Thank you to all our partners who made this event possible.