Meet the Members
Members of the Refugee Storytellers Collective are experts in their lived experiences. They can speak to the challenges displaced people face and the contributions they make to their communities.
Members of the Refugee Storytellers Collective are available for media interviews, talks, workshops, panels, and more.
Pyae Sone Aung
Pyae Sone Aung is an author and human rights and refugee advocate. He believes in the power of informed dialogue to bring about positive change and is committed to sharing his story and expertise in those conversations.
Qudrat Wasefi
Qudrat Wasefi is a composer, trumpeter, poet, and educator from Afghanistan whose music builds a bridge between the Afghan and Western traditions. Through his compositions, he gives voice to social struggles and advocates for the rights of girls and women in his homeland.
Radwan Ziadeh
Radwan Ziadeh is a Senior Fellow at the Arab Center, the founder and director of the Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies in Syria; and co-founder and executive director of the Syrian Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Washington, D.C, an author, an activist, and holds a MA in Democracy and Governance from Georgetown University and MBA from William and Mary. He enjoys traveling, coaching, photography, and spending time with his wife and children.
Rose Mayan
Rose Mayan is an Immigrant Rights Organizer with Michigan United and Michigan United Action, as well as a council member of the Michigan Immigrant and Refugee Council. She is a strong advocate for treating refugees with dignity and respect and believes that while refugees are not voiceless, they often need support to amplify their voices.
Rwamucyo Karekezi
Rwamucyo Karekezi is the Refugee Community Organizer for Church World Service Lancaster. He enjoys playing soccer, advocating for his community, and learning how to balance American culture while maintaining his own culture.
Salimatou Diallo
Salimatou Diallo is from Guinea and works in program management, community engagement, and equity and inclusivity at the International Rescue Committee. She is pursuing a Master’s in Nonprofit Leadership and Management at Arizona State University. Salimatou enjoys exploring the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex with her family.
Sara Louis-Ayo
Sara Louis-Ayo is the Policy and Advocacy Organizer at the Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrants. She is deeply committed to social justice, advocacy, and community health, with a particular focus on the health and well-being of refugees and immigrants throughout all stages of the migration process.
Sarwat Najib
Sarwat Najib is the co-founder of Focus Development Organization and president of Shamlla, a sustainable fashion brand. She is a social entrepreneur, writer, and womens and youth advocate who offers free skill building programs to help build small businesses.
Sharon Njie
Sharon Njie is an Adjunct Professor at the School of Business alongside doing her Ph.D. with the Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Southern University and A & M College, the Refugee Congress Delegate for Louisiana, and the Communication and Strategic Partnership Director at the Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrant. She enjoys traveling, cooking, learning new skills, and interior decoration.
Steven Muleme
Muleme Steven is a visual artist from Uganda with a Bachelor's degree in Commercial Industrial Art and Design. He is a passionate LGBTQ activist, founder and Executive Director of Visual Echoes for Human Rights Advocacy (VEHRA). His work spans visual art, playwriting, and teaching.
Storai Manandoi
Storai Manandoi is from Afghanistan and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law. She works as a para-professional and has nearly a decade of experience in social activism and education advocacy. Passionate about promoting reading and learning, she was honored with the Peace Ambassador Award in 2020.
Tajalla Moslih
Tajalla Moslih is a student at William & Mary, where she serves as a President’s Aide and a Research Assistant at the Global Research Institute. She also leads a need-based community project called Rising Circle, which supports Afghan girls transitioning into the U.S. educational system after coming from a country where their right to education was denied.
Teddy Al Muktady
Teddy Al Muktady is a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ Muslim youth around the world. Through sharing his personal journey, Teddy aims to foster a sense of pride and belonging within the community, and is committed to social change and inclusive advocacy.
Trinh Tran
Trinh is a first generation Vietnamese American and lawyer. She has over a decade of experience representing survivors of violence and persecution around the world, focusing on asylum, refugee resettlement, humanitarian parole, and family reunification.
Tshishiku Henry
Tshishiku Henry is the Refugee Congress Delegate for Washington State, the Founder of Wide World For Refugee, and an Employment Case Manager and Equity Lead at a Seattle-based nonprofit organization. He is passionate about helping and working with immigrants and refugees.
Uchechukwu Onwa
Uchechukwu Onwa is an organizer, trainer, leader, and movement strategist currently working as the National Civic Engagement Coordinator for Black Alliance for Just Immigration. He advocates for policies that uplift marginalized voices and creates spaces where all individuals can not only survive but thrive.
Yahya Khamis
Yahya Arbab Khamis is the Former President of the Sudanese Community of Dayton Ohio and a volunteer for Welcome Dayton Ohio and the AFSC Ohio Program Advisory Committee. He is interested in community work and integration.
Yasin Arfat
Yasin Arfat, originally from Myanmar, is an associate delegate at Refugee Congress for Illinois, a former refugee, and a refugee advocate, uplifting refugee voices and advancing human rights. He is passionate about raising awareness around the suffering and hopes of displaced people worldwide.