Deogratias "Deo" Niyizonkiza, a refugee from the war-torn African country of Burundi, left his homeland in 1993 with little beyond the clothes on his back. When he arrived in New York City, he didn't know a soul there, nor did he speak English. But a series of charitable deeds by complete strangers helped Niyizonkiza transform himself from a homeless immigrant to an Ivy League student — and eventually set up a health clinic back home to help those he left behind.
To read the rest of the article, visit npr.org. Also here is an article about Deogratis Niyizonkiza being honored at the Women’s Refugee Commission 2010 Voices of Courage awards.
