Refugee Story

Saheba, Afghan from Iran
Iran

I Only Want to be Treated Like a Human Being

I just want to be free and to live in peace and safety.
Norina, Afghan from Iran
Norina  ·  Iran

Belonging: I Work Hard so I Can Succeed Here

I want my family to stay together here where we can be safe.
Edrees, Afghan from Iran
Edress  ·  Afghanistan

Arrival: We Defied the Taliban

I love to play soccer. I love to work and cook.
Roya, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Women Have No Rights There

I look forward to having a calm life filled with great achievements.
Mariam, Afghanistan
Mariam  ·  Afghanistan

The Journey: I Want to Go Back to School

I want to have a room with a bed and space to breathe.
Mohida, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Nine Months Pregnant, I Boarded a Plane

My husband is raising our three daughters and our son in a camp in Greece without me.
Henna, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

I Have Never Known Peace

We have had war in Afghanistan since before I was born
Morena, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

I Was Thinking of Suicide

I am a lonely woman with two children.
Omar, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

My Father Was a Member of the Taliban

Because I am almost fourteen and the oldest son, I am responsible for our family.
Nabi
Afghanistan

The Taliban Slaughtered Gay Men like Animals

It was hard to be gay in my country. You can’t live as a [free] man.
Heydi, West Africa
A West African Country

I Left Because of Religious Conflict

I wanted to stay in Africa, but I wanted my life to be secure, so I came to Europe.
Felix, Nigeria
Nigeria

In Libya Life is No Good

The first day I came to Italy, I had a friend, an Italian friend.
Sanaz, Syria
Sanaz  ·  Syria

The Journey: We Awoke to Find Planes Bombing Above Us

Our life was very good. We were very comfortable and happy.
Larif, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

We Just Want Peace

I don’t want my children to live in war.
Walid, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

I Produced Media Against the Taliban

I graduated with a degree in journalism and joined the Afghan police force.
Radwa, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

I've Been Deaf and Mute Since Birth

When I was old enough, I was forced to marry the head of our region.
Ilhan, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

I Was Tortured Three Times

We decided to leave and sold everything we had; there is no way back.
Rahim, an Afghan currently living in Switzerland
Rahim  ·  Afghanistan

I Fought to Keep My Hope

It gives me a bad feeling … that I am safe and my friends are still in trouble.
Mina, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

I Just Want Him to be Safe

That’s why we came here—so they would not take him away from me.
Bahram, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

A Nonsense Custom

We can’t go back. It is not safe for women there.
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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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