They judged and labelled me before they listened. It shaped me in ways words can’t express
Photo: Kostas Maros
I was born in 1991 in Ouagadougou and grew up in Switzerland. Today, I work to ensure that origin does not determine impact. My roots lie in Burkina Faso. My home is Switzerland. What shapes me is not origin, but conviction and attitude.
At the age of three, I fell ill with Noma. The disease changed my face and left a memory that runs deeper than language. I remember surgeries, piercing pain, and glances that asked more than words ever could. These experiences inform how I see the world. Not my centre but my compass.
Ethos Fidelis and Fidel Strub Forum emerged from this tension: between visibility and structure, between quiet knowledge and institutional responsibility. I work with organisations that choose not to outsource impact but to embody it. Founding Elysium showed me what visibility can achieve. Today, I continue structurally, independently, strategically.
For years, I fought for acceptance of my appearance and my identity. The disease Noma changed my face and took away my sense of self. It left questions that made me struggle with myself for a long time. Why me? Why does this disease even exist? For many years, I was locked in a silent inner battle. Not out of peace but because I didn’t know where to turn.
In 2010, I began to engage with the topic. Only after a life-threatening event in 2014, which I barely survived, did I realise: pity helps no one. Change begins when we choose not just to be affected, but to act.
Today, I work through workshops, keynote formats and advisory conversations in collaboration with NGOs, media and institutions. It’s not about being affected. It’s about dignity, understanding, and the space we shape ourselves. I advocate for visibility that doesn’t expose but accompanies. For life stories that aren’t just heard, but given room to unfold.
Curious how this stance transforms into inspiring encounters, impactful formats and vibrant projects? Then join me through Ethos Fidelis or deepen your enquiry directly via Fidel Strub Forum. Both paths lead to the same ethos: responsible, effective, and respectful of complexity.