Abdikheir Ahmed is the Interim Executive Director at the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba Inc. Abdi has a Master’s in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia where he studied on a Rotary Peace Fellowship. He spent his formative years in Kenya where he did his primary and high schools and studied for his Bachelor’s in Environmental studies in Kenyatta University in Nairobi. He immigrated to Canada in 2003 where he joined the University of Winnipeg to study International Development Studies graduating in June 2006 with a four-year BA as a student of high distinction.

Abdi has extensive experience working with refugees and nomadic pastoralist communities in Northern Kenya. Right after graduating with his first bachelor’s degree in Kenya, Abdi helped form a non-profit called Environmentalistes Sans Frontieres where they raised awareness around environmental problems facing nomadic pastoralist communities in Northern Kenya. 

Abdi worked with IRCOM as the After School Program Coordinator from 2006-2010. Abdi served on a number of boards and committees advocating for the needs of immigrant and refugee communities. For his advocacy, Abdi was in 2009 awarded with the Amina Malko Fellowship by the Canadian Council for Refugees as one of few potential refugee leaders across Canada. In 2011, Abdi was also recognized by the Manitoba Children’s Museum as a Great Friend of Children for his work in providing mentorship and integration support to immigrant and refugee youth in Winnipeg.