About Refugees, By Refugees

Ali

…order to challenge all future circumstances.” Now living in Athens, his “dreams are self-development to the extent that I can create my own brand” and “build my future on it.”…

Nader

and struggles to feel like he belongs anywhere aside from his studio. His experiences, he says, have reshaped him to be strong. But he also wonders about the “question is…

Buraq Alsmadi

Buraq Alsmadi Syrian Syria “Before I left Syria my dream was to grow my business,” says Buraq Alsmadi (35). “If I am given the chance to do that even remotely,…

Ali Kabiri

Ali Kabiri Afghan Afghanistan “My only dream was for my son to be cured. For his education, for his future,” shares Ali Kabiri, 26, who fled Afghanistan in search of…

Zainullah Ibrahimi

…it was misery.” Now living in a refugee camp in Greece, he keeps busy by playing soccer and tending to his hairdressing business, which he launched despite having no prior…

Randa Awad

Randa Awad Palestinian Syria “I want to continue in my writing and to publish a lot of things,” says refugee Randa Awad (45). A freelance writer and mother of two,…

Pejman

…leaving Iran in 2015 in search of greater opportunity, security, and freedom, Pejman lived in a series of refugee camps around Berlin. During this time, he says his “mental state…

Mostafa Payvandi

Mostafa Payvandi Iranian Iran “I was actually dreaming of becoming a great artist,” recounts Mostafa Payvandi (34), who came to Sweden from Iran in search of religious and personal freedom….