In 2010, eighteen-year-old Tesaflem Haile fled persecution in his native Eritrea, embarking on a treacherous two month journey on foot through Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt, Sinai, before, ultimately, landing in Israel.

We sat down with Tesaflem to learn about what his life has been like in Israel and what challenges asylum seekers in Israel, a community of some 34,000, face today. His is a story of hardship, perseverance, and of all things, software development.