About #MyStory
BFB #MyStory is a storytelling project and youth empowerment program founded by mental health ambassador, Sunya Afrasiabi, and led by Bridges From Borders, Inc. (hereinafter BFB), a non-profit 501(c)3 organization in Western New York. The #MyStory goal is to unite people through stories by developing immigrant narratives through the combination of oral history, narrative therapy, and portrait exhibition, which promotes diversity, inclusion, and equity.
In this project, we recruit young volunteers and provide them with professional skills training. They work with storytellers to help them share their experiences and cultural heritage through a variety of mediums such as photography, writing, and podcasts. Through the #MyStory project, our aim is to foster diversity and inclusion, thereby serving the refugee and immigrant communities, who are traditionally under-resourced in public programming.
Program Components
Training:
Volunteers receive “Mental Health Ambassador” training. This is an educational program on DEI/ mental health topics that culminates in certification. Volunteers then engage in online and in-person workshops, where they learn the principles of journalism and multiculturalism.
Production:
In the production stage, volunteers are paired with an immigrant(s)/refugee(s). In a few sessions, volunteers interview the storytellers to be able to share their experiences/unique cultural heritages and record them as a written narrative.
These volunteers partner with a professional photographer, who work together to depict the stories of the storytellers through photography. Volunteers may also serve as podcast hosts to share the storyteller’s story. By the end of this stage, each storyteller has a written, auditory, and visual component to their story.
Presentation:
In this stage, we hold exhibits, fundraisers, and presentations to share stories. In past years, we have had exhibits at Buffalo State University, Sasse Art Museum, Erie County Family Court Building, and Buffalo&Erie County Library.
April 2024
Exhibit and Community Interviews at the 2nd Annual #OneWorld Community Concert & Exhibit
April 2025
Exhibit and Community Interviews at the 3rd Annual
#OneWorld Community Concert & Exhibit
Art/Music Recognition
Anya Zions
Anya Zions is a musician from Buffalo, NY. Currently a high school senior, she plays classical and electric guitar, percussion, piano, ukulele, and sings. Her future plans include studying percussion performance in college. For this Bridges from Borders #MyStory podcast, Anya plays an original classical guitar composition inspired by the diversity in cultures and experiences shared within this program.
Keira Feuerstein
Keira Feuerstein is a 17 year old artist from Amherst, NY. She has been drawing for most of her life and has been pursuing digital art and animation as a hobby for about four years. For this cover piece, Keira was inspired by the hands of the #MyStory logo. She wanted to highlight the uniqueness of all members in the community by showcasing different features and accessories they might have. Keira is very grateful for the opportunity to work with Bridges from Borders.
2024 - 2025 Program Contributors
Student Interviewers
Aidin Afrasiabi
Anmoldeep Kaur
Ashley Chi
Tiba Alishaqi
Jennifer Tran
Alessandra Ferrer
Farah Alishaqi
Tamiya Brown
Jolynda Wang
Student Team Leaders
Aidin Afrasiabi
Anmoldeep Kaur
Founder
Sunya Afrasiabi
Photographer
Anmoldeep Kaur
Fern. D
Podcast Tech
Om Rao
Story Editor
Aidin Afrasiabi
Podcast Art
Keira Feuerstein
Podcast Music
Anya Zions
Storytellers
Fatma Alshuwaili
Mustafa Rfat
Imran Fazal
Emmanuel Nsengiyumva
Krishen Bhatti
Bob Artis
Christy Cardinale
Lisa Bloch Rodwin
Venera Kalinina
Special Thanks:
Julie Walter
North Presbyterian Church
