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Stories

Education

Amina, Syria
Amina  ·  Syria

I Have Missed Three Years of Their Lives

My husband told me to go to Germany with our youngest son because I am a math teacher and can speak English, and because I am strong.
Arif, Syria
Arif - Syria  ·  Syria

Arrival: I Must be Strong for Her

"I like being in school again..."
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.
Roya, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Women Have No Rights There

I look forward to having a calm life filled with great achievements.
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.
Rasheeda, Afghanistan
Iran

I Brought my Koran and Prayer Rug with Me

We left Iran because we are Afghans.
Firoz
Syria

They Kept Killing — They Killed so Many

ISIS began invading our village on the first day of the revolution.
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.
Nasira
Iran

For the Safety of Our Children

Wife, mother of three. Now a refugee seeking a better future for her family.
027 Ls Mehria 3590
An Islamic Country

Teachers Were At Risk

She was targeted by the Taliban for teaching school.
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.
Mahommad
Iraq

MAHOMMAD

Mahommad is five-years-old and just moved here.
Tiba
Iraq

TIBA

Tiba exudes joy.
Sakina
Iraq

SAKINA

Sakina’s favorite thing about being in America is that it is safe and she gets to go to school.
Mohaned and Zainab with their family
Iraq

MOHANED AND ZAINAB (3/3)

In September 2016, Mohaned & Zainab arrived in Binghamton, Alabama with nothing.
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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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