‘Soccer is everything’: How Dacious Richardson’s love of the game helped him heal from a childhood shaped by war
From a childhood shaped by war in Liberia to building one of Vancouver’s most dynamic youth initiatives, soccer has remained a constant through every chapter of Dacious Richardson’s life. For him, it’s only the beginning of unlocking the game’s...
‘I’ll keep telling our stories until the world listens’: Milad Rajabi’s mission to create a space for refugees to be heard
From photographing displaced families in Afghanistan to becoming a refugee himself, Milad Rajabi has seen both sides of the story. Now in Canada, he is using his podcast Refugee Talk to amplify refugee voices and advocate for refugee-led change. By Rafay Ahmed...
Uganda continues to welcome refugees despite diminishing funds
More than 75,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived in Uganda, where resources are stretched with crowded schools, inadequate shelter, and limited access to food and health care By Arnold Temple in Kiryandongo refugee settlement, Uganda On a recent morning at the...
Leveling the field: How Nyota Katembo turned refugee roots into a rising soccer career
When Nyota Katembo steps onto the field, everything else fades away; the noise, the pressure, the weight of her past By Zeba Tasci in Ottawa, Canada On the pitch, she’s just a player chasing a ball. But off it, she’s become so much more: a role model, a sister, a...
‘We thought we would never sing again’: How Maryam Masoomi escaped the Taliban and rebuilt her life in Saskatoon
When the Taliban seized Kabul in August 2021, Maryam Masoomi was a university student who suddenly found herself helping lead the escape of more than 200 people—herself included. That experience now shapes her work with newcomer youth at the Saskatoon Open Door...
‘We made it!’ How soccer helped Farkhunda Muhtaj find her purpose
Farkhunda Muhtaj was officially the first player named to the roster of Calgary Wild FC, part of the new Northern Super League that launched in Canada in 2025. Number 10 plays midfield and she joined the Wild after captaining both her varsity team at York University...
A badge of hope: One former refugee’s mission to change lives and reimagine policing
When Mustafa Popalzai arrived in Canada as a 14-year-old refugee from Afghanistan, he had little more than hope. Today, the Toronto police Detective Constable is a driving force behind a grassroots initiative to change lives for thousands of newcomers, but also help...
How can we protect refugees from growing digital threats?
Online misinformation, disinformation and hate speech targeting refugees and asylum-seekers is causing real-world harms. Finding ways to tackle it is critical. By Kristy Siegfried In August 2017, widespread violence targeting the Rohingya minority in Myanmar’s...