Kingston man takes on challenging year off

When Nicholas Rizzo went to his parents and told them he wanted to take time off from school, his mom, Mary, was thrilled.

The Kingston mother thought he would travel, enjoy himself, relax, and think about the next phase of his life. She didn't mind that her middle son would be putting aside his Harvard education for a year. She had no doubts that Nick, a highly driven young man, would continue to pursue his medical degree following the much-needed break. After four years of excelling at Boston College High School; living through the tragic loss of his older brother, Jonathan, a murder victim in 2001 ; and two stress-filled, but academically impressive years at Harvard, a year off would be great for him.

But Nick Rizzo didn't want to relax and take a vacation. He wanted to go to Rwanda to volunteer at the refugee camps where AIDS, malaria, and scabies are prevalent among the more than 40,000 refugees. ``I should have known better," his mother says with a laugh.

A 20-year-old major in social anthropology with a focus on pre-med studies, Rizzo had been thinking about volunteering in Rwanda for a while.

``I feel like I've been in school my whole life," he said recently, one day before his departure. ``I've had very little real responsibility, except to my school work and my relationships. The work I'll be doing in Rwanda is what I'm interested in. It's what I want to do with my life. That's really the driving force behind the urgency to do it now, rather than later."

After many conversations with Harvard professors and doctors he met who have taken time off to volunteer, Rizzo said he knew it was something he needed to do. And now was the ideal time to do it.

``It never even occurred to me to take time off school," he said. ``I just thought I'd be going from high school straight into college, straight into medical school, straight into a job, and maybe travel in the summer. But I met others who have taken a break, and I thought it sounded great."

Rizzo's quest to land the six-month volunteer position with the American Refugee Committee in Rwanda didn't come easy. The application process began at the beginning of his sophomore year, and in late spring he received word from the committee's headquarters that he had not been selected.

He thought it might have been because of his age and inexperience, but he would not take no for an answer. He contacted Ann Kao, a professor at Harvard Medical School and a doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital who had held the position for which he was applying. She encouraged the country director to interview him, and after more than 100 e-mails and additional interviews, Rizzo was offered the job.

Rwanda was a natural choice for Rizzo because he had met people who worked there and had studied the genocide there in case studies for his social anthropology class. The country and its issues interested him, and he was drawn to its need for assistance.

``I wanted to do something humanitarian in a place that needed help, but would not be too dangerous," Rizzo said. ``It has problems, but it's not like being in Sudan."

A lush, mountainous part of Africa, Rwanda has three large refugee camps. The refugees have been forced from their homes as a result of war, known as the deadliest war since World War II, between the Tutsis and Hutus in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The camp conditions are less than ideal, with overcrowded, makeshift shelters. The women care for the children, many of them orphans, but the men have little to do, because there are few jobs. Due to the close living quarters and limited medical care, disease is rampant, and the mortality rate is high.

Through the American Refugee Committee and the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, Rizzo will coordinate a treatment program for refugees with HIV. ``It will be my job to make sure the different initiatives are running smoothly, the money is being well spent, and the approach is meeting the needs of the refugee community," he said. ``I won't be practicing actual medicine, because I'm not in med school yet, but I can do simple procedures, like applying cream to skin rashes, and help out where needed."

It's this kind of interaction that Rizzo is looking forward to. He intends to mingle as much as possible. He'll be living part time among the refugees, eating meals that may consist of just boiled potatoes or boiled bananas. A former varsity soccer player at BC High, he plans to organize a soccer league with the children. Gotshalks Soccer Inc. in Raynham has donated balls, shirts, and soccer equipment, and the Kingston Youth Soccer League has donated shirts.

``Kids there love anything from America, and people who are there say we can't go anywhere without being mobbed," Rizzo said.

With a daily dose of malaria pills that cost him more than $700 and seven preventive vaccines behind him, he is not concerned about getting sick himself. ``I'm looking forward to making a real difference and doing something totally new in a completely different environment," he said. ``I've been told to expect to contract scabies because of the close interaction I'll have with the refugees. But that's just part of the job. I'm looking at this as the most amazing experience I've had in my life without too many expectations."

Rizzo flew to London just days after the foiled terror plot there. Although the additional security measures delayed his flight only three hours, they also meant he had to check his extra laptop and camera. Upon arrival in Africa, he discovered that bag was nowhere to be found, and he is trying to recover it with the help of his dad, Mike, and the American Refugee Committee.

Always close to his family, Rizzo knows that missing his parents; his younger brother, Elliot ; his extended family, and his girlfriend is going to make it difficult at times. Because he may be one of only two Americans in the camp area, committee officials have warned him that loneliness can be an issue. To help deal with it, Rizzo has set up a webcam so he and his family can communicate via the Internet.

``He can send me hugs from Africa, and I can see him sending them," said his mother, who admits she'll worry about him every day. ``I'll worry about whether he's getting enough to eat and staying safe and healthy. But Mike and I are so proud of him. He has a good heart, and it's wonderful that he has an opportunity to pursue what he wants to do. He'll benefit from this experience, and they'll benefit from having him there."

Rizzo said he will be working hard when he gets home to repay his parents for helping him fund this ``very expensive" volunteer project. In September 2007 he'll return to Harvard to continue working toward his goal of becoming an emergency and/or pediatric doctor.

``Ideally, after I become a doctor, I'd like to work half the year in hospitals and half the year taking two-, three-week trips working internationally where they need doctors. I'm sure this trip will only convince me that this is the work for me."

To track Rizzo's adventures, go to www.nick-rizzo.blogspot.com.