Because he was only 3 years old when his family left the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya for a new life in Uganda, Arizona forward says he doesnt remember much about the place.
He does remember the stories, though. The stories his older family members told him about the desperate life in the camp that followed them from war-torn South Sudan.
My siblings told me it was a really tough environment, just getting basic needs like water, said Mawut, who has to send basketball gear to South Sudanese youth. It was pretty tough because of the huge crowds who were there seeking refuge in those facilities.
They came from South Sudan, also from Somalia, and still do today. With a population of about 60,000 people when Mawut left in 2008, Kakuma now houses around 300,000, with fighting still raging in the region. According to a PBS report last month, the past three years of relentless conflict in South Sudan have triggered the worlds largest humanitarian crisis.
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Arizona freshman forward Mabil Mawut (in red) pushes into forward Koa Peat during a partially open practice at Richard Jefferson Gymnasium on Aug. 12, 2025.
But while discussing his new project to help youth in his homeland through basketball earlier this week at McKale Center, Mawut said people who remain in South Sudan are in good spirits.
Its just we have resilience, hope, that things will get better over time, he said.
When Mawut lived at Kakuma, he said the refugees from South Sudan survived by bonding as a community. They shared resources and even played together, even if the games had to be held on the side of a road somewhere.
Refugees wait in a queue to receive humanitarian aid distributed by the World Food Programme (WFP) at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Turkana, Kenya June 4, 2025.
Wrestling tournaments, he said, were particularly popular.
We had settlement groups, like Group A or Group B, Mawut said. It was a community that came together.
Though Mawut has never lived in South Sudan, where he still holds a residency, Mawut is familiar with what life has been like there, too. His father enrolled in the military at age 17 and remains in South Sudan, Mawut said, once helping lead a division in the devastated city of Malakal and now serving in a more advisory role.
Mawut said his father always stayed in touch, calling frequently and visiting over the holidays, with life always tenuous.
It was pretty dangerous, Mawut said. We kept him in our prayers every day.
Mawut said he also visited his father in South Sudan when he became older in 2019 and again in 2023. He said his father supported his decision to leave for the United States and eventually play at Arizona.
Hes big on education and he believes that me coming out here was good for me, Mawut said.
After finishing a redshirt season with the Wildcats as a freshman in 2025-26, Mawut launched his Children of the Nile project to help give back to those still struggling back in his homeland.
Arizona Wildcats guard Sven Djopmo (42) and forward Mabil Mawut (20) celebrate a basket put down against Embry-Riddle in the second half of an exhibition game at McKale Center Oct. 27, 2025. Arizona won 113-42.
He said he will start his project by collecting new or lightly used shoes basketball or otherwise at Gate 3 during the UA football spring showcase Saturday at Casino Del Sol Stadium between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m.
Having already received commitments from players Koa Peat and Sidi Gueye, Mawut says his initial goal is to collect 50 or 60 pairs of shoes to send to South Sudan.
A lot of (teammates) have been reaching out, and they really want to help, Mawut said. They believe they can be a part of it, and I really appreciate it.
Longer-term goals, he says, include camps, clinics and mentoring programs. But for now, just shoes.
Thats all it takes to crack open a window Mawut once crawled through himself.
While spending most of his youth in Uganda, where his mother moved the family to live with her brother in a three-bedroom house, Mawut said a cousin who had been playing in Utah once shipped him a pair.
He sent me and my brothers three pairs of shoes. That was so amazing, Mawut said. I remember it was one pair of shoes I had to hold on to for the whole year, make sure they were in good condition.
The shoes helped point Mawut toward a direction in life.
While growing into a basketball prospect, Mawut started playing in pickup games as a 13-year-old in Uganda before enrolling in Ugandas Solid Skills Academy. He was 6-9 at age 16, when he headed for the NBA Academy in Senegal in 2021 and he eventually gained the chance to play for Bronx Our Savior Lutheran in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
There, Mawut showed the personality of a leader, Our Savior Lutheran coach Pete Weyhe said, with nine of his 10 teammates voting on a secret ballot to make him captain as a senior.
Toward the end of his final high school season, Mawut was offered a scholarship at Arizona and came aboard as a long-term project listed with just 200 pounds on his 6-11 frame.
Basketball led Mawut to a new life. Maybe it can also help the same thing happen for others.
At this stage of my career, its pretty big, Mawut said. I just thought one of the ways I could give back was give back to a community that poured so much into me.
Contact sports reporter Bruce Pascoe at bpascoe@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @brucepascoe
Bruce Pascoe
Reporter
