Seeing the world through a refugee’s eyes with the Action For Humanity VR experience.

We’re really proud to announce that we’ve joined forces with Action For Humanity, an international NGO headquartered in Salford, to produce a ground-breaking immersive VR experience.

We’ve partnered with Action For Humanity to develop a VR experience that will give people a chance to see the world through a refugee’s eyes in order to change public perceptions, drive fundraising and lobby governments to bring about policy change.

The VR experience, called ‘Through My Eyes’, will aim to change mainstream perceptions and challenge the negative stigma towards refugees and asylum seekers across the globe by immersing people in realistic virtual scenarios to give them a visceral understanding of what refugees go through.

According to Action For Humanity, more than 1% of the global population are now refugees. This number will increase in the foreseeable future due to extreme weather caused by climate change, food and water insecurity, civil wars and international wars.

Ted Holden, our Managing Director, commented:

“We’re very passionate about doing work that matters, so when Action For Humanity approached us with this challenge, it was a no-brainer for us. It’s vitally important the world starts to view refugees in a different light and this VR experience will hopefully go a long way to enacting necessary change in both perceptions and policy.”

Alifya Akberali, Programmes Manager at Action For Humanity commented:

“At Action For Humanity, we firmly advocate for a shift in the perception of refugees and displaced people, emphasising the imperative recognition that their status is not a matter of choice. It is paramount to understand that individuals forced to flee their homes are propelled by dire circumstances beyond their control, something which could happen to any of us around the world.

As our work focuses on restoring basic humanitarian rights for those who are affected, we want to share a small part of their journey and hardship to amplify awareness and foster empathy towards the plight of refugees worldwide, hence the title of the VR project “Through My Eyes.” Working with Holdens on this innovative VR project will provide users with a highly immersive experience by transporting our audience to virtual environments that simulate real-world scenarios which displaced people may face. We are excited to create an immersive experience that will enhance engagement and understanding among the wider community, as well as establishing an effective tool for advocacy towards “refugee friendly policy”.”

Action For Humanity is an international NGO founded in 2011. The parent charity of Syria Relief, the UK’s largest Syria-focused NGO, Action For Humanity now responds to crises and emergencies around the world, working in more than 10 different countries to provide life-saving aid and deliver a wide range of projects that help people survive, rebuild and recover.