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Congolese Physician and Humanitarian the Recipient of the 2009 Damien-Dutton Award for Leprosy Work
(Greenville, SC—September 28, 2009)— Dr. Jacques Kongawi, American Leprosy Missions’ (ALM) country representative for the DR Congo, has been named the 2009 recipient of the prestigious Damien-Dutton Award, given to an outstanding individual or group of individuals who has made a significant contribution to the elimination of leprosy.
On November 5, 2009, Dr. Kongawi will be presented with the award in a reception held at the Phoenix Inn, emceed by local television personality Dale Gilbert, a long-time friend of ALM. Former award recipients include President John F. Kennedy, the first President to proclaim “World Leprosy Day,” and Mother Teresa.
Dr. Kongawi works tirelessly, often in life-threatening situations, to treat people suffering from leprosy in his native DR Congo, a country torn apart by war and a shattered economy. He and his health workers travel by motorbike, canoe, and foot to bring healing to people who might otherwise have spent their entire lives never seeing a “real” doctor.
The Damien-Dutton Society for Leprosy Aid is dedicated to the elimination of leprosy and raises funds for medical care, research, social and physical rehabilitation, and education. The society was named after Father Damien, a Belgian priest who cared for victims of leprosy exiled on the island of Molokai, Hawaii and Joseph Dutton, who assisted Father Damien and served on the island for over 40 years.
American Leprosy Missions, headquartered in Greenville, is the oldest and largest Christian organization in the United States dedicated to restoring hope and healing to people affected by leprosy and related conditions around the world. Through partnerships with other international leprosy organizations, ALM provides the medical cure for leprosy as well as physical therapy, prevention of disability training, reconstructive surgery, educational scholarships, micro-credit opportunities, and much more.
