Where Can You Find COVID-19 Resources for Re-entering Your Faith-Based Organization?

Zawadi Twizele is this month’s Faith Works Connecting for a Health Community (FWCFHC) feature. Ms. Twizele, a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has worked at with FWCFHC in various capacities since 2015. Twizele, an immigrant, is trilingual and has contributed significantly to patient care among vulnerable populations throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area as a Direct Care Professional and Certified Assistant Nurse. 

Twizele first began volunteering with the KU Medical Center as a summer intern in 2013 where she worked with Dr. Lumpkins on a research project that focused on colorectal cancer prevention within faith populations. She later assisted Lumpkins with FWCFHC by providing support with organizing meeting and community engagement activities. 

Most recently Twizele graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and is an aspiring nurse and hopes to attend nursing school here in the area. 

“From my childhood, I have been a strong believer in the Bible because I know that God handed it to me to help me navigate throughout life. Jeremiah 1:5 is one of the scriptures that has really guided me and helped me to search for who I am and what path I was to follow. I always knew that I wanted to do something to significantly contribute to my community and take part in promoting health awareness. As I learned more, I also had a growing desire to address health disparities through the profession of nursing,” Twizele said.

Twizele is a FWCFHC Consortium member and also is a Research Assistant within the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She is an integral part of the FWCFHC team and to ongoing efforts to address cancer and other health disparities among African Americans and underserved populations in the bi-state area.