Blaise Lolika, who was trained as a nurse midwife and had his own medical clinic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, came to Tucson as a refugee in 2002 and is now employed as a medical technician at University of Arizona Medical Center.
Lolika will speak at Academy Village next Thursday about the geopolitical situation in his home country and how he fled to Angola to escape the ongoing civil war there. He will also describe how he came to the United States with the help of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and the challenges refugees face in their new life here.
The program begins at 3:30 p.m. in the great room of the Arizona Senior Academy Building, 13715 E. Langtry Lane.
This is the second of three programs at Academy Village during June and July featuring refugees from troubled countries in Africa and South Asia who have settled in Tucson.
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After arriving in the Tucson area, Lolika attended Pima Community College to become certified to work as an obstetrics technician at UMC.
For his visit to Academy Village, he will be accompanied by and serve as translator for Julienne Nakatimbo, another refugee from the Congo who will share some of her experiences.
The third talk in the Arizona Senior Academy refugee series is scheduled for July 5, and will feature refugees from Burma/Myanmar.
The programs have been arranged through the Tucson International Alliance of Refugee Communities, a nonprofit organization established in 1995 to help refugees with settling in a new country and dealing with a new language and culture.
Academy Village is an active-adult community located off Old Spanish Trail six miles southeast of Saguaro National Park East.
Concerts and lectures at the village, sponsored by the Arizona Senior Academy, are open to the public free of charge. Due to the popularity of these events, non-members are encouraged to make advance reservations.
If you go
• What: "East Africa Refugees," the second in a series of talks by refugees living in the Tucson area
• When: 3:30 p.m. June 21
• Where: Arizona Senior Academy Building at Academy Village, 13715 E. Langtry Lane
• Admission: Free; donations accepted
• Reservations: Recommended; email info@arizonasenioracademy.org or call 647-0980
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