Fill 1 Created with Sketch.
hamburger
READ OUR OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON THE DETENTION OF REFUGEES AND ONGOING COMMUNITY VIOLENCE
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH DISPLACEMENT, RESETTLEMENT, DEPORTATION, AND ICE #ANONYMOUSAMONGUS
Stories

Political Instability

Walid, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

I Produced Media Against the Taliban

I graduated with a degree in journalism and joined the Afghan police force.
Ilhan, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

I Was Tortured Three Times

We decided to leave and sold everything we had; there is no way back.
Rahim, an Afghan currently living in Switzerland
Rahim  ·  Afghanistan

I Fought to Keep My Hope

It gives me a bad feeling … that I am safe and my friends are still in trouble.
Rasheeda, Afghanistan
Iran

I Brought my Koran and Prayer Rug with Me

We left Iran because we are Afghans.
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.”
Samadi and Sabroo
Iraq

"We Always Kept One Bullet for Suicide"

In order to save our family, we were obliged to leave our country.
Hep 6175 1024X682 1024X675 Tsos
Vitalii and Lidiia  ·  Ukraine

Safety. Kindness. Security.

With the annexation of Crimea, there was a great deal of fear and fighting. Vitalii and Lidiia wanted a better life for their children.
Salman Etching
Afghanistan

I Owned a Drugstore

We want to be somewhere that is far from danger, somewhere safe.
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.
Mohaned & Zainab (2)
Iraq

MOHANED AND ZAINAB (2/3)

In Iraq, Zainab was a stay-at-home mom and Mohaned was a taxi driver.
← 1 2 3 4 56 →
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
Add Impact to Your Inbox
Sign up for our emails to get inspiring stories and updates delivered straight to you.
Subscribe
© 2026 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.