Refugee turned game developer creating new gaming experience

He lived in a refugee camp for 22 years. Now, he's developing a video game that's giving gamers the power to save real lives through their gameplay.

Transcript

00:00People need to understand the roots and also the journey of refugees.

00:05If they don't understand it, then there's no way they can know about them.

00:20I'm originally from South Sudan. Everybody knows South Sudan.

00:22It's a country that was ripped by civil war.

00:25So my family fled South Sudan to find a place of refuge.

00:28I was born on the way to the refugee camp that we resettled in.

00:31All I wanted from my family was to live a better life

00:35and also be able to see a place where they can have a place of peace in their mind,

00:40where they can wake up in the morning and don't hear the sound of a gun.

00:44The first time I saw a computer was when there was a refugee registration

01:01where people were registered.

01:03During that time, they brought in computers, laptops, to be able to enter the data.

01:09One day I came to my mother and I asked her,

01:12I said, like, hey, I need to buy a computer.

01:14And she, like, laughed at me and said, like, what are you going to do with a computer?

01:19There's no power where you can charge it and there's no internet

01:23and there is no money for us to buy the laptop.

01:27She worked so hard without letting me know and for over three years looking for $300.

01:33She came to me one day and she was like, hey, I got $300 for you so you can go and buy a computer.

01:39That moment changed my life.

01:43The story of Salam

02:01Salam, it's a story based on my life and the journey that a lot of refugees go through.

02:07And for you as a player, you take that responsibility to be able to help the people

02:12and be able to get them to their final destination.

02:15Whenever you buy food on your game, you're actually buying food for someone in a refugee camp.

02:20When you buy water in the game, you're actually buying someone in a refugee camp water.

02:24So you're creating impact. You're not just playing the game.

02:27And that's why, like, games are so amazing.

02:29You make the decision. You save lives.

02:31And in the game, you save lives.

02:33In the real world, you also save lives.

02:35So we're really excited about that feature in our game.

02:47It was really unbelievable for me to see myself as an African game designer

02:52and someone from a refugee camp to come to the U.S.

02:55and also have the opportunity to debut my game at the Game Award.

02:59Like, it was really unbelievable for me.

03:03For me, it wasn't my dream, like, when I was in a refugee camp,

03:06that I would ever have a company and have a team and have, like, you know.

03:11Like, that's a vision for everybody.

03:14No matter where you are, you can always make it.

03:17No matter where you are, there's that human talent that is always there for you.