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As a child growing up in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Juvens Niyonzima dreamed of either working in science at a laboratory or owning his own media company. Yet his dreams were often interrupted by the country’s ongoing civil war. Today, he works as a phlebotomist in a lab at University Hospitals.
Ikenna Ogwuegbu, a Nigerian-born pharmacist, was completing his pharmacy sciences studies at Cleveland State University in 2019 and wanted to provide quality healthcare for underserved Cleveland communities. He founded IKON Health Foundation, which provides preventative health services, benefits enrollment, dental care and education about the healthcare system through its clinics.
Jonas Mbonga, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, fled to escape an increasingly violent political situation. His travels brought him to the United States where he was detained while applying for asylum. The experience affected his health, he said.
This is a four-part series of stories on the barriers to health access in Northeast Ohio refugee communities produced as part of a Connecting the Dots between Race and Health project.