On the ground in Puerto Rico
It’s been five months since Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the island province of Puerto Rico. The world watched, eyes glued to their screens as footage of flooded streets cycled on every news channel. When I saw the news and heard the stories of destruction, I...
Iraqi refugees stuck in limbo
“We were trapped.” Saeed’s voice grew quiet as he recalled the months he spent inside ISIS-controlled Mosul. “We didn’t have any chance to flee because ISIS besieged us, [leaving] no safe exit,” he said. Mosul used to be home to more than 2 million people — many...
Why should you still care about refugees?
After years of seeing televised footage of overcrowded refugee camps, it’s challenging not to become overwhelmed … or worse yet, apathetic. Across the world, there are an estimated 65 million displaced people — in Uganda, Syria, Jordan, South Sudan, Iraq, and beyond....
A life torn apart … healed with a gift
Aria stood alone in her kitchen, preparing her family’s dinner. She hauled an oversized pot onto the stovetop and slowly poured in cooking oil. She cut up vegetables and meat just as her mother had shown her when she was a little girl. Now at 14 years old, Aria knew...
The Venezuelan food crisis — a story you may not have heard
Carmen kneels beside her baby’s coffin, adorning the wood with tiny white wings. The wings are a Venezuelan tradition, meant to symbolize a young child who has flown away to heaven far too soon. It’s a sight that is all too common in this country today as people die...
Every day, I try to live my life in such a way that I accomplish at least one thing that will outlive me and last for eternity.