Contributors

Erica Eastley

Community Programs Coordinator, Egypt

The first time I met refugees was in Palestine in 1995. Since then, we have met Afghan refugees in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbek refugees in Idaho, Iraqi refugees in Jordan, South Sudanese refugees in Egypt, Central American asylum seekers in Mexico, and Syrian refugees in Virginia. I've been able to see some of the varied circumstances that refugees and asylum seekers find themselves in, and my own life is much richer because of our friendships. My current project is an online reading program for South Sudanese refugee children here in Egypt.

Elsewhere

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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