Nasir Abdi Arush

Somali Development Center, Inc.

Nasir Abdi Arush is currently the Deputy Director of the Somali Development Center, Inc. (“SDC”). Based in Boston, MA, SDC is a multi service non-profit organization that serves the African refugee/immigrant population in New England. Mr. Arush is the founder of the New Hampshire office, and his main role is to help refugees to integrate into their new culture and advocate on their behalf. Currently, there are more than 500 Somalis in NH. During the last three years, Mr. Arush has been a strong advocate for the Somali children affected by lead poisoning. Prior to joining the Somali Development Center, he worked with a local refugee resettlement agency in New Hampshire. In 2000, Nasir Arush came to the United States to study Community Economic Development at Southern New Hampshire University. In Somalia, he was a community organizer helping to improve the life of displaced refugees, local farmers and health workers. As a cultural mediator, Mr. Arush is a member of many committees and task forces in NH.  These include: the Manchester Multicultural Committee, Family Understanding Night, and the Coalition of African Organizations of NH. On January 29th 2007, Mr. Arush was selected by the Union Leader Class of 2007 “40 Under Forty”, which notes exceptional accomplishments of people under the age of 40. He was the only black descendent in the class of 2007.