Photo © UNHCR/Caroline Irby
By Raye Mocioiu
A few years ago, in a quiet backyard in the Dutch countryside, actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw witnessed a reunion that was decades in the making, one in which she had a personal stake. That morning in 2022, a woman named Françoise—a mother, teacher, and refugee that Mbatha-Raw had met years prior—was finally embraced by the parents she’d believed to be dead for nearly 30 years.
For Mbatha-Raw, this moment captured the meaning of her work with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, but also one that felt deeply personal. In her years of work, she’s met countless people who have displayed unwavering courage in the face of often unrelenting hardships. They start and restart their lives, yet their empathy remains steadfast.
“The sound of children singing in Nakivale settlement in Uganda is a vivid moment I’ll never forget,” she recalled. “The music drew me to meet Françoise, a refugee from the DRC whose husband and children were murdered during the Rwandan genocide. Despite her trauma, she became a teacher running a women’s support group.
“The joy she brought to her work, from community women’s groups and a female football team, to the pride she took in showing me her vegetable garden, a piece of the earth, a sense of home—it was powerful.”
Bearing Witness to Strength
Since 2018, the British actor, known for critically acclaimed roles in Belle, The Morning Show, and Loki, has worked alongside the UNHCR as a Goodwill Ambassador.
She’s travelled to some of the world’s most overlooked crisis zones, including Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In doing so, she has become an amplifier and an advocate for those forced to flee home.
“One misconception is that refugee camps are temporary,” she explained. “But many people live their whole lives there. They build schools, shops, and even stage fashion shows, as I saw in Nakivale. These are vibrant, resourceful communities. But they also face impossible choices like medicine or food, safety or dignity.”
For Mbatha-Raw, this work is also a way to honour her family’s own legacy of resilience.
“My father fled apartheid South Africa and had to leave his home and everything he knew, so the refugee experience is part of my family history,” she explained. “Every refugee story is different, but I think anyone who has moved country feels a sense of dislocation, that they’ve left part of themselves behind. I’m very aware of the privileges that I have, but I am also conscious of the challenges my father has faced. My South African cousin calls it an ‘ancestral call,’ the impetus to help other people who face a similar sacrifice.
It’s part of why I feel that we all have a role to play in welcoming refugees and helping them to find a sense of belonging.”
Her advocacy has helped bring visibility to displacement crises that rarely make headlines, from gender-based violence to housing shortages—a few of the many challenges that come with resettlement.
“Resettlement isn’t an ending. It’s a new beginning, often full of new obstacles,” she noted.
The Role We Play
In our increasingly diverse communities, it’s not uncommon to hear stories from friends and neighbours that strike a similar chord of fleeing a place that was once home to begin again somewhere new. Like Mbatha-Raw, those who share these stories of resilience amid hardship contribute to a deeper understanding of the refugee crisis, which can often seem like a far-away problem.
“We often forget that refugees are not just statistics,” she said. “They are parents, artists, teachers. They are people like you and me.”
What makes us remember? The power of a story. It’s why hearing the real stories from refugees leaves such a distinct impression in our memories, and why Mbatha-Raw’s work is all the more important. Listening to these stories matters, and making space for refugees to be heard makes all the difference in fostering a more connected and compassionate community, ultimately making it easier for refugees to begin again.
When Mbatha-Raw visited refugee shelters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with UNHCR, she was interested in speaking with the people there to learn about their stories and amplify them.
“I remember seeing how many families were making tough choices between buying medicine for their elderly parents or food for their children,” she recalled. “One woman, Cadette, had fled her village after it was violently attacked. She had seven children, was a carer for her husband, and had to support the rest of her family. I often wonder if she was able to fix the leaking walls of her home while still managing to find enough food for her family. Food and shelter are basic necessities we often take for granted, but for Cadette, meeting those needs came with constant sacrifice.”
UNHCR’s work goes beyond emergency relief—it’s also about long-term solutions like resettlement, inclusion, and education.
“Right now, with major cuts to humanitarian aid, services for refugees, like education and healthcare, are under serious threat,” the actress explained. “It’s important to remember that education helps refugees to build skills, support themselves, and give back to others.”
Giving refugees opportunities, she explained, whether through education, resettlement, or learning a skill, is essential.
“I know that for many women, having the opportunity to craft together with their hands, making practical objects or jewellery that they can sell is not only a healing communal practice, but also gives them a sense of purpose to be able to support their family.”
Our role, then, as global community members, is to support organizations like UHNCR in making these opportunities possible. On a smaller scale, Mbatha-Raw says that compassion can go a long way.
“Kindness is something the world desperately needs,” she said. “I know from my own family that anyone can become a refugee at any time. No action is too small—whether that’s donating, hiring someone rebuilding their life, or simply listening to their story.”
Visit unhcr.ca to donate, volunteer, or learn more about how you can help displaced people rebuild their lives.
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