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Stories

Afghanistan

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.
“A Message to the World,” Oil on linen by Elizabeth Benson Thayer
Afghanistan

Children Show Us What Humanity Means

Their future is uncertain, and their past is gone forever.
Nadia, Afghanistan
Nadia  ·  Afghanistan

We are Scattered

My father and brother made it to Sweden; my mother and I are trapped in Greece.
Kalil, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

I Am a Civil Engineer; I Am Good at My Job

I hope I can find a good life and that I can continue in my profession.
Bahar
Afghanistan

“I Married When I was Ten-Years-Old”

Now I am alone, living in a tent here in Greece.
Parisa
Afghanistan

My Uncle Said, “I Can't Cut Off Anyone’s Head”

They took my uncle and he’s been gone for six years.
Fahima and Azim
Afghanistan

Girls Have No Value Here

After our father died, we had no one to protect us.
Halia
Afghanistan

Twice We Were Poisoned at School

It is my wish to resume my education.
006 Ls Dsc 3714 Faria Book
Afghanistan

We Never Imagined We'd Live in a Tent

We left our country because the Taliban tried to kill my husband several times.
Salman Etching
Afghanistan

I Owned a Drugstore

We want to be somewhere that is far from danger, somewhere safe.
Habib Draws Water From Camp Hoses In Greece
Afghanistan

I Had a Mechanic Shop

A husband, a father, a mechanic. Now a refugee.
Mosuma
Afghanistan

I Had to Protect My Daughters

I brought my daughters here for their sake
Tabish With His Family
Afghanistan

The Struggles…Can Fill a Story Book

Tabish's journey to safety sounds like text from a fiction-thriller book.
Madina
Medina  ·  Afghanistan

Why We Flee: Because We Are Shia, They Want to Destroy Us

I just want to live in a safe place where everyone can live in peace.
Ahmad and his child
Afghanistan

Hope

Even when all else is beyond our control, hope keeps us from giving up.
Ahmad and his wife
Afghanistan

We Married Anyway

I know I have to start and build a new life from the beginning.
Zurvan Daughter
Afghanistan

Who Will Listen to Our Pain?

I am responsible for the welfare of my children.
Ualda
Afghanistan

Only a Mother Who has Lost a Child Knows My Pain

​Ualda comes from a world where it is dangerous for a woman to be educated or outspoken.
Refugee Child Painting
Afghanistan

I am a Refugee Child

We hope for peace, friendship, good behavior and good treatment. And my wish is peace.
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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?

Support Monthly Give Once
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