Salat Ali's story of growing up in a refugee camp in Kenya to working in the Scottish Air Force as a lawyer is an inspiration for many in similar situations.
Ali was born in Kenya after his family fled from Somalia after rampant terror attacks. He spent his early childhood in the area before moving to the United States.
In 2006, Ali and his father moved to the United States of America but unfortunately, they left his mother and two other siblings as refugees.
According to Ali, the heartbreaking incident inspired him to help others in the future stating," I did not know yet, but I just knew I wanted to do something meaningful."
He graduated from Cazenovia College, New York, with a bachelor's degree in psychology after securing a full scholarship.
Ali later joined the Scottish Air Force to help him reach his goal of being an immigration lawyer.
“I don’t know if I can change any systems or policies. But, I know that if there is anybody going through what I had to go through, at least I can be there to help show them the way,” he stated.
Notably, Ali is a technician assigned to the 375th Force Support Squadron, which provides base-level support to all organisations assigned to Scott Air Force Base.
Additionally, through his military tuition assistance, Ali is working on his Master's of Business Administration at the University of Illinois, Urbana.
In 2017, he travelled to Kenya to visit his mother and siblings while producing a documentary highlighting his rise from the refugee camp.
"I wanted to create a documentary on dismantling the stereotypes about being a refugee because as a refugee I thought I could be a voice for people like me," he remarked.
He has worked with well-wishers and award-winning producers to help fund and produce the documentary. Through a GoFundMe page, he managed to raise Ksh910,000 (USD7,000) to fund the trip to Kenya.
"I have been blown away by the support that I have received from everyone. I didn't even think that it would be possible for this trip to happen and I am so grateful for the support," Ali stated in a past interview.
