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Blog → February 4, 2019

Frankfurt-based refugee-story sharing charity joins forces with Frankfurt International School to host special event

Bridging The Gap Between Newcomers And Established Citizens

Their Story is Our Story, a charity run entirely by volunteers, is collaborating with the prestigious school for this first event of its kind to help bridge the gap between refugees and established citizens within the local communities of Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

‘Giving Voice: An Evening of Refugee Stories and Music’ will take place on Monday 11 February, 2019, at 7pm at Frankfurt International School Auditorium.

The event will include performances by Grenzenlos, a musical group formed exclusively by refugees and led by Sadegh Moazzen, who after fleeing his native Persia is now a concert guitarist, composer, and music teacher in Frankfurt. And, Parsa Behroz, a singer and songwriter forced to flee his native Iran, who is now finally able to live his life peacefully as a musician in Germany. Speakers will also narrate first-hand refugee stories shared with Their Story is Our Story, as featured in the charity’s new book release Let Me Tell You My Story.

We may look different, dress differently and eat differently,” explains Trisha Leimer, Chair and Founder of Their Story is Our Story. “But, we connect when we share our music, our food and our stories. It’s these shared experiences that build understanding, and strong and safe communities.

Grezenlos En Edit
Sadegh Moazzen and Grezenlos will perform at the special event on 11 February, 2019 at Frankfurt International School to help bring together refugees and established citizens within the local community.

ABOUT THEIR STORY IS OUR STORY
Their Story is Our Story uses storysharing to form partnerships with refugee-supporting organisations to help people fleeing war, persecution and violence to reach safety, feel integrated in their new communities and achieve acculturation. For more information, please visit https://tsosrefugees.org/

EVENT CONTACT
Melissa Dalton Bradford
Executive Director, Their Story is Our Story
T: +49 160 6863458 E: [email protected]

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

By the end of 2024, more than 123.2 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced from their homes due to war, persecution, or human rights abuses.

An increase of 7.2 million over 2023, that’s more than 19,619 people every day — roughly one person every 4.4 seconds.

They arrive in refugee camps and other countries, like the US, seeking the one thing they’ve lost: safety.

Fleeing political imprisonment, ethnic violence, religious persecution, gang threats, or war crimes, they come with what little they managed to carry:

Legal papers – if they’re lucky.

A single backpack.

Sometimes a child’s hand in theirs.

They also carry the weight of what they left behind: fractured families, homes they’ll never return to, professions they loved, friends and relatives they may never see again.

They carry loss most of us can’t imagine – but also the truth of what they’ve endured.

At TSOS, we believe stories are a form of justice. When someone shares their experience of forced displacement, they reclaim their voice. And when we amplify that voice – through film, photography, writing, and advocacy – the world listens. Hearts soften. Communities open. Policy begins to shift.

That shift matters. Because when neighbors understand instead of fear…

when lawmakers see people, not politics…

when a teacher knows what her student has survived…

Rebuilding life from the ashes becomes possible.

We’re fighting an uphill battle. In today’s political climate, refugee stories are often twisted or ignored. They’re reduced to statistics, portrayed as national threats, or used to score political points.

The truth – the human, nuanced truth – gets lost, and when it does, we lose compassion.

We are here to share their truth anyway.

At TSOS, we don’t answer to headlines or algorithms. We are guided by a simple conviction: every person deserves to be seen, heard, and welcomed.

Our work is powered by the people we meet — refugees and asylum seekers rebuilding after loss, allies offering sanctuary, and communities daring to extend belonging.

Your support helps us share their stories — and ensure they’re heard where they matter most.

“What ultimately persuaded the judge wasn’t a legal argument. It was her story.”

— Kristen Smith Dayley, Executive Director, TSOS

Will you help us keep telling the truth?

No donation is too small — and it only takes a minute of your time.

Why give monthly?

We value every gift, but recurring contributions allow us to plan ahead and invest more deeply in:

  • New refugee storytelling and advocacy projects
  • Resources to train and equip forcibly displaced people to share their own stories
  • Public education that challenges fear with empathy
  • Local efforts that help communities welcome and integrate newcomers

As our thank-you, monthly supporters receive fewer fundraising messages — and more stories of the impact they’re making possible.

You don’t have to be displaced to stand with those who are.

Can you give today — and help carry these stories forward?

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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.