When the sky rained bombs at the beginning of the 1990 Gulf War in Iraq, my family a barely survived. When we escaped Saddam's wrath, the ruthless dictator, we became Refugees in the neighboring country Saudi Arabia. We didn't choose to be Refugees, we were outcasts from our own country.

We spent the next four years in the scorching hot desert in a refugee camp. Luckily my father was an Artist and did something remarkable to help us survive and live to tell about our journey.

My Father began painting in that Refugee camp and over time it helped him build relationships. The people my father began to meet were vital to how we would end up getting out fo the refugee camp.

One painting after another, one conversation with a Saudi Army Guard at a time. He was able to break through and meet someone who helped us get out of the camp and come to the United States.

The Refugee experience became the fuel to my desire to take advantage of every positive opportunity I can. I attended Portland State University; I studied Architecture, Graphic Design, and business and started taking chances.

I experimented with how I can use my business, design, and production skills for the greater good. I had some great successes and some significant failures.

I traveled to India to help build a school and was reminded of the refugee camps, and I once roamed. My mission became more apparent after visiting India, and the work ahead started my journey.

We tend to forget where we're from and lose connections with other heritage and humanity. We made our tagline a reminder to all that we are from Earth, and it's our responsibility to take care of it and help each other.

We bought a VW Vanagon much like the ones used in Refugee Camps to help people in the early 90's. We began to sell our merchandise at events and shows all around the Northwest. And now we use it to produce our Art of Resilience Podcast inside!

The Refutee community is full of friends, family, and notable people worldwide who love and support our mission to spread awareness for Refugees. The community is everything, and when you join, you get to be a part of our movement to help shed a positive light on Refugees and help as much as we possibly can.

We can't do this alone; we need you. If not now, when? If not you, then who? When you wear a Refutee, you help us tremendously speak the conversations that can create the change we all seek to make!