And then I was a refugee...

Millions of people internationally are forced to leave their homes every year because of their social status, religious beliefs, political views, race, gender or nationality. The ensuing journey can be a fight for survival, often rife with famine, dehydration and violence so it is no surprise that at the end of 2010 approximately 837,500 of those displaced were seeking asylum. Unfortunately, once granted refugee status the discrimination does not always cease, with racist attacks and intolerance an all to familiar occurrence.

And then I was a refugee is a new app launched by the Australian Red Cross to help combat the stigma attached to refugees in Australia. In this interactive game, users can follow Hani or Samaan in their journey through Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Kenya and Malta by answering multi-choice questions that inform their fate. Robert Tickner, CEO of the Australian Red Cross explains that the aim of the game was to ‘create an authentic journey, to give some insight into the difficulties and dangers refugees face’. There are no right or wrong answers in this game but by confronting and involving the players with the real life dilemmas compiled using research from refugees themselves, Australian Red Cross hope that they can change and educate using this empathetic approach to interactive gaming.

And then I was a refugee is available for free download on Android and iTunes. And if you’re feeling generous, you can donate to the Australian Red Cross.