What We Achieved in 2025

As 2025 comes to a close, we look back on a year of continuity, learning, and steady progress. At Everyday Refugees Foundation, our work focused on long-term, people-centered support for refugees, internally displaced people, and local communities through education, storytelling, and direct engagement. With the continued trust of our supporters, 2025 allowed us to strengthen long-term projects, expand educational initiatives, and carry stories across borders.

The year began with the Young People Program in Kyiv, where aspiring photographers from Ukraine’s Iron Squad gathered amid the ongoing war for a masterclass led by our Chairman, Muhammed Muheisen. He guided them through the art and ethics of photography, helping participants see the world through a different lens and explore how images can tell personal narratives. Earlier in January, a photo competition invited the young photographers to capture moments that mattered to them, and the results were announced during the masterclass. The experience brought learning, expression, and encouragement, highlighting the power of photography to tell their own stories. https://everydayrefugees.org/photography-masterclass-in-kyiv

In February, the Young People Program continued in Dubai, where our Chairman, Muhammed Muheisen, gave a masterclass to visually impaired young people from different backgrounds. The masterclass focused on storytelling and self-expression, inviting participants to reflect on their own perspectives and experiences. Through dialogue and shared learning, the program offered encouragement and highlighted how photography and storytelling can support confidence and personal voice. https://everydayrefugees.org/world-unseen

In March, our Chairman Muhammed Muheisen spoke during 25 Years of UNICEF Photo of the Year – An Evening for Hope in Berlin, Germany. He reflected on the long-term impact of photography and shared the story behind Zahra, the portrait that received the 2017 UNICEF Photo of the Year award. The evening served as a reminder of how a single image can continue to carry meaning over time. 25 Years of Unicef Photo of the Year

In April, we launched Little Smiles to support Syrian refugee children living in tented settlements in Jordan. The children took part in activities that created space for play, interaction, and expression within their daily reality of displacement. Alongside these activities, the children received outfits and essential items, offering both practical support and a sense of care and recognition. Little Smiles focused on bringing moments of normalcy and connection, reinforcing the importance of presence, attention, and continuity for children growing up in unstable circumstances. https://everydayrefugees.org/little-smiles

In April, our chairman, Muhammed Muheisen, took the stage at the National Geographic Summit in Amsterdam, sharing stories that reflect the foundation’s approach to photography and responsibility. Being part of this global conversation helped extend the reach of the voices we work with and reinforced the role of visual storytelling in building understanding. https://muhammedmuheisen.com/national-geographic-summit-2025

On World Refugee Day, we shared progress from one of our long-standing commitments: Encourage School in Pakistan. The school moved into a permanent building on the outskirts of Islamabad, bringing greater stability and continuity to Afghan refugee and internally displaced Pakistani children. The improved learning environment strengthened attendance, engagement, and learning throughout the school year. Encourage School has been part of the Everyday Refugees Foundation for many years, and the developments in 2025 reaffirmed our long-term commitment to education. https://everydayrefugees.org/worldrefugeeday2025

In November, Carrying Voices reached new audiences in Istanbul with The Rest of the Story photo exhibition by Muhammed Muheisen. The exhibition was opened by the Minister of Family and Social Services, Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş. Alongside the exhibition, Muhammed Muheisen gave a talk to an engaged audience, continuing to share our foundation’s mission and raise awareness through photography. https://everydayrefugees.org/carrying-stories-across-borders

Also in November, Fairytales from Home brought books in children’s own languages to more than 200 Ukrainian children and their families across four shelters in the Netherlands. As reading corners opened, children found familiar stories that offered comfort, connection, and a sense of identity far from home. The project strengthened a feeling of continuity in daily life and reminded young readers that their stories — and their languages — matter. https://everydayrefugees.org/fairytales-from-home-netherlands

We closed the year in December with Joy That Empowers, our project in Jordan supporting Syrian refugee children and their families living in tented settlements on the outskirts of Mafraq through education and play. The children received school bags, learning materials, and toys, creating moments of joy while supporting their everyday lives. https://everydayrefugees.org/joythatempowers

Alongside our projects, we continued to share our work internationally through media, talks, workshops, interviews, and exhibitions, including the Xposure International Photography Festival in Sharjah. Muhammed Muheisen’s photographs were featured in 25 Years of UNICEF Photo of the Year across Germany, World Unseen in multiple cities, and during the National Geographic Summit in Amsterdam. Our work continued to reach global audiences through National Geographic platforms and social media.

Throughout the year, we were closely involved with the Courage of a Nation photo exhibit. After opening in Kyiv in late 2024, the exhibition continued until May 2025. Alongside this, we supported the digitization of the museum’s collection, where the exhibition was hosted. In June, Courage of a Nation opened in a gallery in Odesa. It was also transformed that month into a travelling art-train exhibition that toured Ukraine throughout the year — the first of its kind worldwide — with plans to continue in 2026 and expand to other European countries. The exhibition opened at the Ukrainian National Museum in Chicago in July, followed by the renovation of a downtown gallery space where it will remain on view until June 2026.