Believe in Them

Believe in Them is the first-ever memoir of Luma Mufleh, the widely honoured founder and director of Fugees Family, a non-profit organisation devoted to child survivors of war. She tells her extraordinary story with the moving, inspirational force with which she delivered her TED talk, viewed over 1.8 million times. Herself a refugee, Luma fled from her native Jordan to the U.S. in fear for her life if she continued living in Jordan as a gay Muslim, leaving behind a family who had trouble accepting her when she came out as gay. One day, while driving through Georgia she took a wrong turn and noticed some boys playing football in the street. She discovered that they were refugees. The Fugees football team was created. Soon she was not just 'coach' but also friend and mentor to these children and their families. As time passed, it became clear to Luma that the Fugees needed more than just football coaching from her - they needed support, encouragement and education. "Don't feel sorry for them," were Mufleh's grandmother's words about refugee children to her young granddaughter. "Believe in them." And that is precisely what Mufleh has done.