Landry Kalembo, B.HSc., MSc. Candidate, Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa
You could call Landry adept, versatile, determined, a high achiever... and somehow it doesn't quite do the young man justice.
Speaking very comfortably in English (his fourth language), Landry told us about his youth of evacuating his home town in the Democratic Republic of Congo due to an erupting volcano, then fleeing to Uganda to escape civil war. As a young refugee in Kampala he excelled at school and was awarded a prize for achieving the highest marks in the school.
That ambition and determination helped Landry achieve more awards, accolades and leadership roles along with volunteering and community involvement while at Ridgemont High School and University of Ottawa. Extraordinary academic accomplishment and active school and community service from a young refugee with limited prospects. Truly impressive, but that is only part of Landry's story.
Amidst spoken word performing, salsa dancing, basketball and soccer playing, Landry was also a Reservist in the Canadian Armed Forces.
A Board member of the Parkdale Food Centre (PFC), as well as the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada (CNAC), Landry felt he wasn't doing enough and founded The Kalembo Foundation to improve the health and education of young people, seniors, and vulnerable individuals living in Central and East Africa that have been affected by civil wars, conflict, diseases, and/or poverty.
Landry is currently working on his Masters in Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa, exploring the relationships between food insecurity, maternal stress and maternal/infant health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
After an engaging and inspiring presentation from Landry, RCOS members felt energized to further our own community service. (Stay tuned for Landry's upcoming soccer, salsa and social service seminars!)
.png)
