Credit: Kenton Doupe, Courtesy of Saskatoon Open Door Society

During these times of trying to stay connected while being physically apart, Laurier alumnus Ali Abukar (MSW ’13) has taken up new virtual measures to help those who need it most.

As CEO of the non-profit organization Saskatoon Open Door Society (SODS), Abukar and his team help newcomers settle into Canada by providing various services such as helping them learn English, find work, access essential services and childcare, establishing banking, and forming connections with communities through hobby-based and educational programming. The current pandemic has not slowed the organization down as they continue to provide these services through phone, email and online platforms. For Abukar, taking on the role to help those in need has been in his nature for years.

Abukar’s journey started when he left his home country of Somalia and went to Egypt as a refugee. While he was volunteering to assist other newcomers, he also obtained a degree in business administration. However, he always knew he wanted his work to be focused in the field of humanities and decided to pursue a Graduate Diploma in Migration & Refugee Studies. He then came to Canada to continue his educational path at Laurier.

While pursuing his Master of Social Work at Laurier from 2011 to 2013, Abukar learned about the history of Indigenous communities in Canada through Indigenous scholars and ceremonies at the university. This knowledge helped guide his thinking toward approaches and relationships within his work. His assignments always referenced topics of immigrants, newcomers and refugees. When reflecting on his time at Laurier, Abukar said it “contributed a lot to my growth” and made him think more about the people in Canada who are newcomers and what their experiences are.

In June, Abukar was the first to speak at a Black Lives Matter rally in downtown Saskatoon. “It’s important that we as a country have these courageous conversations about issues of injustice, discrimination and racism” he said - “If we don’t question our systems and institutions and review change so that it’s fair, just and meets the needs of our marginalized and racialized communities, we run the risk of multi-tier systems that don’t treat people the same.” At the rally, Abukar asked participants to “speak and act against these injustices in any way possible... we must play a role.”

Abukar encourages others to have “productive conversations that recognize the harm that has been done” and “check our own blind spots.”

Currently, Abukar and SODS are taking on additional projects to help protect communities from COVID-19. SODS has distributed 10,000 face masks both within and outside of Saskatoon to those who are most vulnerable, including their own clients and volunteers.

To learn more about Saskatoon Open Door Society, you can visit their Instagram and Twitter.