Contributors

Leslie Mansour

Photographer & Community Liaison, Colombia

As a professional photographer for 15 years, I’ve been teaching and capturing stories that connect people to their community and humanity. I met my husband in Morocco as a Peace Corps Volunteer where our passion for travel, community development, and social justice initiatives led us to a life living abroad. We currently live in Bogota, Colombia with our two small children. I love black cats, camping, astrology, brewing Kombucha, and aligning my life with the rhythms of nature.

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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Their Story is Our Story is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization under the United States Internal Revenue Code. All donations are tax-deductible. Our tax identification number is 812983626.