Living without a nationality

The daughter of a Christian father and a Muslim mother, Maha Mamo lived most of her life as a stateless person. The inter-faith marriage of her Syrian parents was not officially recognised by the state authorities. She faced difficulties in receiving the most basic rights such as adequate education and healthcare but remained resilient and fought hard to obtain a citizenship. Last year her dream came true: Maha and her sister were granted the Brazilian nationality in a surprise ceremony at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Today, she has become an activist fighting for the rights of stateless people worldwide.