Originally from Yemen, Ala Alsygaly has a strong background in media and was previously employed as a television presenter in his home country.
After spending time at the Harvard American Institute in Aden, he gained a Diploma in Media and Public Relations from the Arabic Institute for Studies in 2017.
Against the backdrop of a worsening political situation, Ala left Yemen and made his way through a number of European countries, including Germany, where he was a volunteer participant in a major language project.
In October 2021 Ala arrived in Northern Ireland. After being settled in Belfast he began volunteering with Horn of Africa People’s Aid.
In 2022, he relocated to Derry where he has been volunteering with the North West Migrants Forum since.
Ala Alsygaly has become a key member of the NWMF’s volunteer team, providing translation services and using his wealth of knowledge to fill in forms and assist service users where possible.
Ala’s cultural competency and strong knowledge of immigration status legislation, as well as his generally pleasant and helpful demeanour, have made him an important ‘goto’ for both staff and members of the Migrants Forum.
