Abdi's biography

Abdi Sabrie

Abdi Sabrie, originally from Somalia, has lived in the U.S. for over thirty years and in Mankato for seven years with his wife and seven children. He is a co-founder and director of the African Family and Education Center (AFEC), a nonprofit that serves African Immigrants in Greater Mankato. He also co-founded and serves on the board of the Mankato Islamic Center, is a Commissioner on the Region Nine Development Commission on behalf of minorities, and serves on the Mankato Public Safety Advisory Board, the Backpack Food Program Advisory Committee, the Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS) Board, the Council on American IslamicRelations (CAIR) Advisory Board, and the Blue Earth County Child Protection Advisory Board. In 2012 he was a National Jefferson Award recipient.

Abdi has participated in and is a current cohort of the Cultural Agility Collaborative (CAC), is a Blandin Community Leadership Fellow for Rural Minnesota, and has served on the Minnesota Valley Action Council Youth Council, the Habitat for Humanity Family Selection Committee, and the Blue Earth County Corrections Advisory Board. He also coordinated the after school program for refugee children in Mankato as well as the Science Camp program in partnership with Mankato School District and South Central College.

He is a former consultant and linguist for the United States Department of Defense during Operations Restore Hope and Continue Hope, helping to bring peace and stability to Somalia and its people.

Abdi's biggest passion is to provide equal educational opportunity for all children.