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Stories

Archive

We share stories to move people to act. Explore our stories archive using the filters below, then learn how you can help.

“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.
Diana Levaton, Paris
United States

On the Right Side of History

I organized parents; Ben organized students and faculty.
Ben Levaton, Paris
United States

Our Effort Started from Nothing, Now Look What's Happened

One person can make a difference.
Sophia Borletti, Paris
Italy

Hatred Can Be Turned Into Love

I graduate in June. I’m not going to leave working with refugees behind.
Fatima Dzhafarova, Paris
Russia

They Looked Different from Us

“I decided then and there I wanted to become involved in helping refugees.”
Avery Alley, Paris
United States

They Could Easily Become My Friends

… we were interacting with the refugees on a one-to-one basis
Rasheeda, Afghanistan
Iran

I Brought my Koran and Prayer Rug with Me

We left Iran because we are Afghans.
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.
Firoz
Syria

They Kept Killing — They Killed so Many

ISIS began invading our village on the first day of the revolution.
African Refugees
Libya

They Survived Libya

The journey is very, very risky. Many people died — a lot.
Hania, West Africa
A West African Country

“God Knows Who I Am; He will Help Me”

God knows what I am, so He will help me.
Layla
Layla  ·  Ethiopia

Belonging: I Want to Have Something of My Own

I want to be able to say, “This is MY house! We can stay forever here and nobody will tell me to go.”
Odije Moses
Odije  ·  A West African Country

Why We Flee: “Water, Water, Water!”

My family looks to me to support them.
Michael Best
A West African Country

“Dad, Where Are You Taking Me?”

My story is very sad.
Baros
A West African Country

“We Tried to Protect Our Village”

I turn off the video … so they won’t feel sad.
Bahar
Afghanistan

“I Married When I was Ten-Years-Old”

Now I am alone, living in a tent here in Greece.
Samadi and Sabroo
Iraq

"We Always Kept One Bullet for Suicide"

In order to save our family, we were obliged to leave our country.
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.
Pat
Pat  ·  A West African Country

The Journey: My Life Was at Risk

I said, “God, I left my country because I don’t want to die and now people are dying in the desert.”
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221 - 240 of 307 stories
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


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