Join speakers Sarah Terlouw and Aimerance Nzinga for this important conversation. Sarah Terlouw, IRC’s Executive Director in Iowa, will speak about her 15-year career supporting refugees, her experiences overseas, and the transition to working domestically. Aimerance Makunda, originally from the DRC and an Iowa City resident since 2012, will speak to her experience supporting newcomer families. Doors open at 10:30, join us for social connection and a meal.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is an international humanitarian relief organization founded in 1933 with the mission to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster, including the climate crisis, to survive, recover, and gain control of their future.

Sarah Terlouw is the Executive Director of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Iowa. Before joining the Iowa team, Sarah held the same position in Northern California and Kansas, overseeing diverse programs that offered services to refugees, immigrants, asylees, survivors of trafficking, and other vulnerable populations. Before joining the IRC in the U.S., Sarah spent 15 years overseas in conflict-affected settings, overseeing health, nutrition, women’s empowerment, education, economic empowerment, and water/sanitation programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Rwanda, and Mali.

Aimerance Nzinga, a graduate of Kirkwood Community College, is a Housing Specialist for the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Des Moines, Iowa. Previously, she was a Cultural Liaison for the Iowa City Community School District. She has served as an AmeriCorps member with IC Compassion and has worked in various professional capacities in Iowa, including with Goodwill of the Heartland. Nzinga has provided years of support to newcomer families in the Iowa City community, including helping them understand the US school system and, if needed, helping them secure local employment, health insurance, and housing.