Note From Founder

Hi!
My name is Katrina Wardhana, and I am an eighteen-year-old student at Brown University. I began Art for Refuge in my Sophomore year of High School after having taught English to refugee children at the Roshan Learning Centre where my students' willingness to learn and succeed inspired me to start this social initiative. Despite facing hardship and struggles at such a young age, the kids have maintained a strong sense of ambition, strive, and optimism for the future.

Teaching the refugee children at Roshan allowed me to connect to their personal stories that were poignant and inspiring. As I got to know the kids, I realized that what we had in common is the need for solace. To me, art is my solace. Art is my home. With this initiative, my mission is to allow the kids to express their stories and emotions through a creative medium so they too can find their solace.

Their stories reminded me that being a refugee is not a choice, but rather something they were forced to become. Today, a growing number of refugees are shunned from foreign communities and denied their right to a home. By sharing their stories, we can break the xenophobic prejudices held against them.

I realized that having personal insight into their stories is a privilege not everyone has a chance to experience. Through Art for Refuge, I hope to share their stories so you too can contribute and be a part of a refugee’s journey for a better life.