INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL AREA WOMEN TO CELEBRATE  INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

FARGO – This area is home to amazing women who serve others and have stories to tell.

In one hour, Wednesday, March 8 at noon at the Dakota Medical Foundation, 1441 28th Ave. S, Fargo, join them to hear about the Haiti Eye Mission, life experiences in refugee camps that brought two women into careers in Fargo and a woman who has spoken around the world about serving others.

Lunch will be provided for $10. Please call or text 701-388-9676, by March 1 with your reservation.

Kristin Follman is the executive director of the Haiti Eye Mission. Her team is the only one that travels to the Pignon area of Haiti where the average per capita income is $200 per year. The team treats more than 1,400 people annually. She recently returned from the 2023 eye mission.

Jihan Brifki was born in Kurdistan and spent her earliest years fleeing Saddam Hussein, walking to Turkey and living in refugee camps. Her father was killed and her brother was shot. Through the United Nations, her family came to America in 1992.

Fowzia Adde was born in Somalia. When the Somalian Civil War broke out in northern Kenya, her family also fled to a refugee camp. She moved to New York in 1996 and later here. She is an administrator at the Immigrant Development Center. The International Market Plaza is one of her projects.

Pat Vannett, from Mandan, N.D., will share information about women in service through Lions Clubs International. All four of these women are members of Lions Clubs in their communities.

Jihan and Fowzia, along with event organizer Crystal Dueker, will have just returned from attending Lions Day with the United Nations in New York City. The 45th annual event commemorates Lions long-standing relationship with the United Nations. In 1945, Lions Clubs International leaders were asked to help develop the Non-Governmental Charter for the United Nations.