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NEW PRESTON - While dining at the Oliva Cafe last winter, New York City filmmaker Dick Young told his friend Riad Aamar, the owner of the restaurant, about the Denan Project.

Mr. Young, a member of the Denan Project, is the producer of a 2001 documentary film about the harsh conditions in Denan, a village in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia.

The 14-minute video won an award at the New York Film Festival and sparked a movement among Mr. Young's Woodbury friends and neighbors that resulted in the Denan Project, a grassroots effort to provide quality medical care for the people of Denan.

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A remote rural outpost in southeastern Ethiopia, not far from the border with Somalia, Denan is home to a camp housing some 10,000 people.

The camp's residents are Internally Displaced Persons, people who because of civil war, ethnic violence and extreme poverty, are refugees in their own country.

Denan's IDPs are engaged in a daily battle for survival, fighting poverty, hunger, disease and drought in temperatures that routinely exceeds 110 degrees.

The Denan Project, a nonprofit foundation incorporated in Woodbury, established a two-room clinic in the village of Denan in 2004, which through donations from the Somali Regional Health Bureau, was later turned into a hospital.

The project has reconstructed the 29-room hospital, received a Toyota ambulance and also provides ready meals to the residents of the camp and medical supplies to the hospital for free.

Having known very little about the project when it was first introduced to him, Mr. Aamar wanted to help anyway.

"I said to Dick, 'good, can I do something?'" Mr. Aamar noted, remembering being briefed by his friend on the work done in Ethiopia.

Mr. Aamar and his wife, Joanna Lawrence, will host a benefit dinner and silent auction from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday, September 4, at Oliva Cafe to assist the Denan Project.

After hosting a benefit for Healing the Children last year, the couple wanted to begin doing benefits regularly.

"Our dream is to do a benefit every year," Ms. Lawrence said.

"I'm so happy that we're able to do this. My understanding is that everyone should help," Mr. Aamar told Voices.

Mr. Young had told Mr. Aamar that the project needed help, and Mr. Aamar decided to get involved because he felt that his friend, as well as the project, had been doing a great job.

In June, the Denan Project marked its 20,000th free patient visit and purchased a pickup truck. Ultrasound equipment was purchased in July.

The September 4 event, organized and run by Ms. Lawrence and the restaurant's staff, will include hors d'oeuvres, wine, a buffet dinner, desserts, tea and coffee served continually throughout the evening in the dining room.

Typically, Italian, Mediterranean and some North African dishes are served at Oliva Cafe, which has been in its current location since 1997 and recently acquired the upstairs space in its quaint building.

People will be able to dine inside or out, as tables will be expanded into the lawn on the side of the restaurant, depending upon the number attending.

Mr. Aamar noted that people will receive a full meal no matter what time they come to the event.

Although many people sent money donations to the restaurant's benefit last year, the couple is hoping to have more attend and learn more about the project.

"It's a good feeling to have people come to the dinner and help," said Ms. Lawrence.

Mr. Aamar said that the meal will offer many dishes at the buffet.

Time will be allotted for people to meet and get to know each other, the Denan Project will be explained and brochures and information on the work done by the project will be available.

Richard Murawski, an organizer for the Denan Project who has been working closely with Mr. Aamar and Ms. Lawrence to plan the event in the last few months, has already begun collecting items for the silent auction, which will follow the dinner.

A gift basket from a local chef, a donation from a coin dealer, a diamond necklace, a Butterfield and Robinson trip to Tuscany, artwork and other gifts have already been promised for the auction. More items from local merchants and artists will be contributed.

Several rental stores have donated glasses and plates for the dinner, which will help keep costs down so that more money may be collected for the project, Mr. Murawski said.

Organizers are seeking addition items for the auction. Those with items, events or services to donate may call Mr. Murawski at 860-485-2119.

Invitations for the event are being given out at the cafe and may be seen in town. Mr. Aamar said that he and Ms. Lawrence would be giving out as many as they could.

"Having more guests, that's a great thing," he said.

The Denan Project recently secured funding to build a 12-kilometer pipeline to transport potable water to the area, which frequently suffers from droughts.

The Denan Project has sent 72,000 supplemental meals for anemic and malnourished women and children, but is in constant need of medical supplies, equipment, meal supplements and funding to build watering stations and reservoirs.


It is hoped that 200 to 300 people will attend the event and share in the couple's "love of help."

The cost of the evening is $75 per person; 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit the Denan Project.

Reservations may be made by calling Maria Daly at 203-263-7404 or the restaurant at 860-868-1787 and by e-mailing [email protected].