Global Game Jam Presents: The Community Spotlight: Fathima Minha Farook

Fathima Minha Farook: "GGJ expands the global network: you can find new friends all over the world. Anyone with a passion to make games can start their career journey!"

Fathima is hosting Global Game Jam Next 2023 site. This is her story and greetings to the Global Game Jam Community.

"I'm Fathima Minha Farook. I'm from Sri Lanka. I'm a Mentor at International Game Developers Association (IGDA), Video Games Ambassador at VGA, Women in Games Ambassador, Professional Teacher/Instructor, Game Developer, Gamer,  Game Designer, Quality Assurance Game Play Tester and Organizer for Global Game Jam Next 2023 Sri Lanka.

I have joined Global Game Jam in 2020, and that was my first time participating in GGJ through a game jam site. When I was joining GGJ I had a passion to develop a game but didn't know how to make a game. I researched in internet and made a game! It was working, but there were some errors when playing. I made it again and finally I was so happy to see my game working without any errors and being ablet to play it. I got a Certificate from Global Game Jam - and was so happy about it!

certificate

Again I participated in GGJ  2021. GGJ is very interesting to me and it gave me a chance to show my talents, especially creativity, innovation and ideas worldwide.

GGJ expands the global network, because you can find new friends all over the world

I was also volunteering as a teacher for STEAM based lessons, Scratch game making for kids and school children. In 2021 I was interested in organizing  GGJ Next for kids and I did it online. Currently I'm volunteering as a game making teacher for school children - free online classes once a week.

I have participated in GGJ both 2020 and 2021, and organized GGJ Next Sri Lanka in 2021. Currently I am organizing GGJ Next 2023 Sri Lanka. After participating in GGJ I gained self-confidence to do more games alone without any support. It also expands the global network, because you can find new friends all over the world - and also get a wonderful certificate.

When I was participating in GGJ first time, I made a game as a hobby. Then after a few months I got an opportunity to do psychological testing and gameplay testing for the game Shadow's Edge and explored different roles in the game industry.

I would like to recommend GGJ to everyone including students

Once I got to know there is a field for game making, I started learning about the game industry and specially how to make games. Another thing I gained from GGJ is the realization that we can start from anywhere in the world, connect and expand networks. Anyone with a passion to make games can start their career journey!

I would like to recommend GGJ to everyone including students, school children, beginners and newcomers to the game industry.

After participating in GGJ I've participated in several online game competitions and won many awards, and had a passion to do quality assurance in game testing. I also volunteered as a Juror for game design for Games For Change Awards.

In 2022 I was selected as a trade conference delegate by Women in Games International for the program Gamescom Asia 2022 in Singapore. Then joined as a Video Games Ambassador at VGA to support educational institutions globally to know about the game industry. Now I'm volunteering as a game making teacher online and will also volunteer as a mentor in February 2023 for UK Schools and Institutes!

In 2023 I was selected as a mentor for the International Game Developers Association (IGDA). In future I would like to help others to get to know more about the Game Industry.

I would like to say Thank you very much to  Tarja Porkka-Kontturi - Director of Communications - and the whole Global Game Jam Team for giving me a wonderful opportunity to participate in GGJ events and show my talents every year."

Fathima

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