Stories of Displacement and Belonging: Cairo

Stories of Displacement and Belonging: Cairo was a series of community-based filmmaking and storytelling programs developed with and for Sudanese and Palestinian refugees in Cairo. Rooted in the belief that people directly affected by displacement should control their own narratives, the workshops combined practical media skills with collective reflection, peer learning, and community care. The program responded to the realities refugees face in Egypt — including limited access to formal work, education, and legal protections — by offering skills immediately applicable in creative, media, and communications contexts, while fostering connection, dignity, and collective voice. Led by Sudanese, Palestinian, and Egyptian trainers, the workshops also included virtual sessions with German and U.S.-based facilitators, delivering trauma-informed training in mobile filmmaking, safety, impact producing, and grassroots distribution. Stories of Displacement and Belonging: Cairo is part of With Wings and Roots’ broader practice of using storytelling, education, and convening to shift narratives about migration, belonging, and democracy across local and transnational contexts. It was designed as a pilot initiative, with future iterations or expansion contingent on additional funding and partnerships.