READ OUR OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON THE U.S. FY2026 REFUGEE ADMISSIONS CAP AND PRIORITIZATION
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH DISPLACEMENT, RESETTLEMENT, DEPORTATION, AND ICE #ANONYMOUSAMONGUS

Women in Resettlement - Part 2

Wednesday, April 14, 20211:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Women in Resettlement

Join Church World Services's panel discussion with three former refugee women who are remarkable contributors and heros in the Texas community.

During this event, hosted by Ayesha Hassan of CWS, we will hear from:

Aisha Koroma, a former refugee born in Sierra Leone, West Africa who resettled in the United States at the age of fourteen. She is now a refugee advocate and multi-cultural trauma-informed psychotherapist with experience in global mental health and social services. The core of her work has been with marginalized populations including refugees, immigrants, trauma survivors, victims of torture, homeless youth, at- risk children, and veterans.

Dina Al Bayati, an independent consultant working on building Peace and Security, Foreign Policy, and Youth Empowerment in the Middle East and North Africa. As a former refugee from Iraq, she began serving in Refugee Resettlement at nineteen, supporting refugee youth, refugee education and economic empowerment, and outreach. Her current work involves consulting and advising key stakeholders on the MENA region both within and beyond the educational sector and mobilizing political, social, and human rights awareness by engaging youth, activists, media, nonprofits, and more institutions.

and Geeta Farahmand Rahimi, the Matching Grant Case Manager with Refugee Services of Texas, based in Fort Worth. In her current role, Greeta helps refugees with case management and financial assistance through the Matching Grant Program. Greeta is originally from Afghanistan with 15 years of experience in project management, leadership, advocacy, women empowerment, education, training, and capacity building.

The panel discussion will take place on Wednesday, April 14th from 1:00 pm – 2:30 PM Central Time.

Please register for the event here: https://bit.ly/WomenInResettlement2

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?

Add Impact to Your Inbox
Sign up for our emails to get inspiring stories and updates delivered straight to you.
Subscribe
© 2025 Their Story is Our Story Privacy Policy
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.