From Refugee Camps to Global Tech

From impossible odds to global impact

In 2003, my family and I were among the few survivors of the Darfur genocide. We fled to IDP camps in Nyala — Otash and Kalma — and rebuilt our lives from zero. From age 7, I worked in the market after school (selling tissues, carrying goods, renting a small trading spot) to help buy the basics that aid organizations couldn’t provide: oil, onions, sugar.

For 9 years I hustled while staying top of my class. When I entered Sudan’s top university, I touched a computer keyboard for the first time — my peers had used them since kindergarten. By 2016 I had built a complete Facebook clone that won Best Exhibit at the university open week. Today I build products for the UN and WHO, featured on BBC and The Times, and help teams ship reliable software under pressure.