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Abdullahi Ali is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Gateway Community Services. Born in Somalia, raised in Kenya, he resettled in Maine in 2009 after spending much of his youth in a refugee camp. While in Kenya, he studied sociology at the University of Nairobi, and worked with humanitarian and development agencies in the country. He has been regularly involved in programs and income-generating activities for vulnerable communities, as well as in peace education, women’s empowerment, and skills development. He has also worked for Catholic Charities of Maine and Community Counseling Services.
Abdullahi studied Social Science at Southern Maine Community College and the University of Southern Maine, and earned a Master of Science degree in Justice Studies from Southern New Hampshire University. In the past six years Abdullahi has worked with survivors of torture and individuals and families with mental illness in Portland, Maine.
He currently lives in Westbrook, and is a member of Portland Rotary.