Contributors

Amy Duhamel

Community Liaison, Colombia

I grew up in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, and have been moving around since I was 18. I worked in Aviation and Healthcare for over 20 years and am currently living in Bogotá, Colombia with my husband and youngest son. I’m also the proud mom to a son who is a Sailor in the U.S Navy. I love traveling, trying new foods, dogs, and spending time with family and friends. I started a volunteer group during the pandemic called Giving Hearts, which I now run with my friend Liz. We collect all types of donations and distribute them to those in need here in Bogotá. We have over 70 volunteers and it’s my hope to grow the group and continue helping people in any way we can.

Amy
What would you do if you had to leave everything behind?

By the end of 2025, more than 117.8 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced by war, persecution, or human rights abuses — and 45 million of them are children.

They arrive in refugee camps and countries seeking safety and carrying little: legal papers, if they're lucky. A backpack. A child's hand in theirs.

What they carry that we can't see is heavier: fractured families, homes they'll never return to, professions they loved, friends and relatives they may never see again.

In a climate where immigrant stories are often ignored or twisted, we believe stories are a form of justice. When someone shares what they survived, they reclaim their voice. When we amplify it through film, photography, and advocacy, the world listens. Hearts soften. Policy begins to shift.

Because when a lawmaker sees a person instead of a statistic, and a neighbor understands instead of fears, rebuilding becomes possible.

Your support helps us share these stories where they matter most.

— Kristen Smith Dayley, Executive Director, Their Story is Our Story

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