Deogratias "Deo" Niyizonkiza is a Burundian-born American who founded and leads the organization Village Health Works in Kigutu, Burundi.[1][2] He is also the subject of Tracy Kidder's 2009 book, Strength in What Remains. Niyizonkiza escaped the Burundi's Civil War in the 1990s, arrived in New York city, became homeless and was eventually taken in by an American couple who helped support his education at Columbia University.[3] He began working for Partners in Health and has worked in Burundi and Rwanda. He started a health clinic in his parents' community in Burundi which he continues to lead.[2][4]
Deogratias Niyizonkiza | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Education | Columbia University (BA) Harvard University (MPH) Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth (MD) |
Niyizonkiza has been the recipient of several awards, including the 2016 Carnegie Corporation of New York Great Immigrants.[5]
References
edit- ^ Cramer, Ben (28 April 2017). "The Man Who Went From Being Homeless to Saving a Nation". Town & Country.
- ^ a b Kors, Stacey (Summer 2014). "The Road to Kigutu". Columbia Magazine.
- ^ Kidder, Tracy (2009). Strength in What Remains. New York: Random House. ISBN 9781400066216.
- ^ "From Poverty To The Ivy League: A Refugee's Story". All Things Considered - NPR. 29 Aug 2009.
- ^ "2016 Great Immigrants Recipient - Deogratias Niyizonkiza". Carnegie Corporation of New York. 2016.
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