Strength in What Remains
Deo Niyizonkiza and Village Health Works
an intimate salon and conversation with Village Health Works founder and star of a New York Times best seller
Co-presented by Fremont Abbey Arts Center and Pangea
When: Thursday, November 1, 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Where: Fremont Abbey Arts Center
4272 Fremont Ave N, Seattle
Ticket price: $30
A reception with beverages and light hors doeuvres will follow the talk.
Deogratias Niyizonkiza is the co-founder and director of Village Health Works, a non-profit organization that takes a comprehensive approach to health and development in Burundi, one of the world's poorest countries.
Deo's extraordinary story is the subject of Tracy Kidder's best seller, Strength in What Remains . Deo grew up in rural Burundi under military dictatorships, and was a medical school student at the country's only university when an ethnic civl war tore his world apart. He narrowly escaped with his life only to land in New York City with just $200 and no English. After months of delivering groceries and nights sleeping in Central Park, he met a nun who facilitated introductions to generous benefactors. Deo eventually graduated from Columbia University and went on to Harvard's School of Public Health and Dartmouth Medical School.
With encouragement from Paul Farmer, Deo returned to Burundi in 2006. He rallied the southern Burundi community of Kigutu and established Village Health Works. With land donated by the community and an army of committed volunteers, the clinic opened in December 2007. VHW has served over 60,000 people, runs programs in healthcare, education, and agriculture, and is now planning a new center devoted to women’s health. It is unique in being entirely community-driven.
A frequent lecturer on global health, Deo is the recipient of multiple awards including the 2011 International Medal Award of St. John’s University and the 2010 Women Refugee Commission’s Voices of Courage Award.
During Q&A, Deo will be joined by VHW co-founder and Health Programs Director, Dr. Dziwe Ntaba. Dziwe is Clinical Instructor in Emergency Medicine at Columbia University and Associate Physician in the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
