Stories
Soulmates Wait to be Reunited
One of our clients shares his hopes of being finally reunited with his family.
Read MoreStone to Seed: Hess’ Story
Hess grew up in one of Thailand’s seven refugee camps. It was crowded, hot – “like a slum.” Small bamboo houses with leaf roofing were packed in tight, numbered sections, each section containing up to 400. Thousands of people were enclosed by the wire fences that bordered the camp. “The population was roughly 70,0000 or…
Read MoreAn Ember of Trust: Marc’s Story
As a child, Marc wasn’t old enough to understand the chaos that enveloped the Democratic Republic of Congo. His family moved to Rwanda when he was four to escape the ongoing civil war. But the aftermath of the civil war left the country divided, and when he returned to DRC at age 12, he was…
Read MoreIn the Quad Cities, Eagles Give Back
Eamon Garton of Scout Troop 20 is working to achieve the highest rank in scouts: the Eagle Scout. While the title itself is an honor, his goal is to embody its meaning and the obligations it carries. Eagle Rank “testifies that a Scout has an understanding of his community and his nation, and a willingness to…
Read MoreNever too late: father of eight is reunited with his children at last
Six years ago, David Kenene was welcomed to the U.S. by World Relief Memphis. His eight children, however, had been left behind during the immigration process. After years of waiting, he was finally able to reunite with them this month. This is his story, as told to our summer intern Cierra Hunter. I am Ugandan.…
Read MoreFacing big dreams: American citizenship makes them reality
This summer, our interns attended an ethical storytelling workshop in partnership with the University of Mississippi. To learn the ropes of the industry, they were tasked with interviewing immigrants within their community. Mobilization intern Peace spoke with Chisom about what being an American would mean to her.
Read MoreGrateful to Be a Citizen
Paw Shee loves to read, especially books that teach her about “what happened in the past.” And on her journey to becoming a citizen, citizenship classes became a platform that fueled that desire to learn. “I love to read the books they gave me about U.S. history,” Paw said, emphasizing, “they gave me whole books!” Paw…
Read MoreSafety at Last: Francois’ Story
Living in Burundi during the Civil War, Francois spent much of his life in fear. He was constantly immersed in the struggle of “two ethnicities fighting against each other.” In December of 1996, he was relocated to a Tanzanian refugee camp with little access to water or electricity. In the context of all he had…
Read MoreTEDxTalk: One Refugee’s Life Experience | Côme Nzibarega
Born and raised in Burundi, Côme Nziberaga has a gift for languages; he speaks five – French, Swahili, Kirundi, Amharic, and English. In 2005, languages helped him land a job as a translator for a United Nations peacekeeping force sent to Burundi, which for decades has been plagued by conflicts between the nation’s two largest…
Read MoreSaima’s Kitchen World
Growing up in Pakistan, Saima never went to school. Her family did not have internet access, so she spent her days cooking alongside her mom, preparing dishes ranging from the Afghan classic bolani to the Pakistani biryani. Over time, she began to try different recipes that were less familiar to her and her culture—ice cream,…
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