Joel Ntando & Holly Beech — Refugees in Idaho

On Thursday, Rotary welcomes the Idaho Office for Refugees. Joel Ntando and Holly Beech will join us and provide an overview of the global refugee situation and Idaho’s role.

Joel Ntando is the coordinator of the Refugee Speakers Bureau at the Idaho Office for Refugees. He has worked with refugees and immigrants for over 10 years through sporting events, cultural exchange activities, and theater performances, all with the goal of increasing mutual understanding between local and refugee communities. Originally from the Democratic Republic Congo, Joel lived and worked in South Africa for many years before moving to Idaho in 2023. He holds graduate qualifications in Cultural and Media Studies, French from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and has professional working experience in academia and media.

Holly Beech is the communications manager at the Idaho Office for Refugees. Born and raised in Idaho, Holly has a degree in journalism and was a reporter and editor at the Idaho Press and Meridian Press newspapers for 10 years before joining IOR in 2021. She has enjoyed opportunities to travel and write, including spending six months in South Africa doing nonprofit communications work across multiple countries and doing research in Kenya for a book she co-authored about Because International.

Thursday January 11th – noon to 1:15pm, come and be part of our luncheon…guests are welcome!