Sabreen's story
When her sister was given a visa to the United States to escape war in Yemen, Sabreen expected to get one too. When she was turned down, she had to make a desperate choice.
Malala Yousafzai collected the stories in We Are Displaced to show that refugees are ordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstances.
She chose to include the stories of sisters Zaynab and Sabreen because their paths ended up being so different. Both sisters fled the war in Yemen and went to Egypt. When her older sister was granted a visa to the United States, Sabreen fully expected to get one too. So it came as a huge shock when her application was refused. No reason was ever given. While Zaynab went on to have a good life and education in Minnesota, Sabreen, who had been left behind, took the only option she felt she had - to pay a large sum of money to a man who promised to take her across the Mediterranean by boat.
Read by Shaniaz Hama Ali
Abridged and directed by Kate McAll.
A Pier production for 麻豆社 Radio 4
Last on
More episodes
Broadcasts
- Wed 9 Jan 2019 09:45麻豆社 Radio 4 FM
- Thu 10 Jan 2019 00:30麻豆社 Radio 4
Listen to more Audio Books
Including My Sister The Serial Killer, Queenie, The Flatshare and more.
Opening Lines
John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the stories in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.
Sample our books and authors Clip Collection
Interviews, previews and reviews
Subscribe to the Short stories podcast
Featuring the best stories from the UK's finest writers
How many of these 100 Novels have you read?
After a passionate debate, our panel has come up with this surprising literary selection.
Finding Your Story
Ten remarkable novels about identity: Which one will help you discover yourself?
麻豆社 Arts: Books
Celebrating reading and the 100 novels that have shaped our world.