Alpha grew up in a small traditional village in the Darfur region of Sudan. When he was 20 years old, an attempted genocide of his people forced Alpha and his family to escape their home. They fled to Egypt and lived as a refugee there. After 3 years in the refugee camp, Alpha received the news that he had been granted refugee status, and a visa to Australia. He was 23 years old when he arrived in Australia and started to rebuild his life in Melbourne.