Zayn Jafri, GHRAD Research Assistant

What makes my research stand out is that every testimony feels like its own world. No two stories sound the same, and each survivor remembers things in their own way. When I work on a testimony, I feel like I am stepping into someone’s life for a moment. My job is not to change anything or make it dramatic. I just try to present their story in a way that feels honest and respectful, so people can understand it the way the survivor meant it. That balance of being present but not overpowering the story is what makes the work unique to me.
 

The part I value most about being at GHRAD is the feeling that the work actually matters. I get to wake up and know I am doing something that tries to make the world less cruel. We help survivors share their experiences with people who might never hear them otherwise. It reminds me that even the small tasks, like organizing notes or fixing a sentence, are part of something bigger and meaningful. Being trusted with these stories and helping them reach others is what I appreciate the most.
 

What drew me in was how simple and heavy the work is at the same time. During my first week with the testimonies, I realized that my job is to carry someone’s words safely from their mouth to the public record. That responsibility felt real to me. I wanted to do something that had meaning, something that connected to real human experiences. Working with these stories gave me that sense of purpose, and that is why I chose to stay in this field.