What does the word 'home’ mean to you? A place, a feeling, or even a person?
We all deserve a place to call home. Where we live and feel safe. Home can mean different things to us all, but for refugees and displaced people it’s also somewhere they have been forced to flee through no fault of their own.
In recognition of World Refugee Day 2024 we asked people all over the world – including refugees and displaced people - to tell us what home means to them.
Home is...
Home is a place of safety and belonging, where you can be yourself, surrounded by loved ones. This was a universally shared response from refugees and non-refugees alike.
Home is where I feel safe, loved and supported. Home is my friends and family.” - Coralie, France.
“It means belonging and cultural identity to my country and its history.” - Kholoud, refugee in Türkiye
Other people associate home with smaller daily pleasures, like being on the sofa with their family, gardening, cuddling their cat or the smell of their favourite food.
“Home for me is...a cup of coffee in the morning, time with my family and watching TV or spending evenings together playing games and just talking” - Daria, Ukrainian refugee in Poland
“To me, home is the smell of Borscht.”– Tetiana, Ukraine
However, for refugees, home is somewhere they’ve lost and long to return to. Like Mohammed in Syria, who dreamt of growing up to become a teacher when he lived in his village, but now feels ‘neutral’ about these aspirations. Or Daria, whose home in Ukraine is a slowly erasing memory, after ten years of exile.
"When I remember home, I remember...sadness and problems” - Wamaholo Lucille, Congolese refugee in Kenya.
Over the past year, global crises have forced displacement to a historic high of 120 million, making the global displaced population equivalent to the 12th largest country in the world.
That’s 120 million people with shattered lives and dreams, having to make a home elsewhere.
What is World Refugee Day?
World Refugee Day is celebrated around the world every year on 20 June. It was designated by the United Nations to honour people around the globe who have been forced to flee from their home country to escape conflict or persecution.
CARE stands in solidarity with refugees and displaced people. With your support we can help them rebuild their lives and find a safe place to call home.
What does home mean to you? Tell us on Instagram“Without a home life is meaningless. We are born in our homes and our memories are linked with it. Our home gives us protection. And we pray that we get our own home.” - Saif u Din, Afghanistan