Activists, advocates for the under privileged, and garden-variety do-gooders will appreciate the work of the dZi Foundation. The Colorado-based nonprofit’s mission is to provide aid to poor, remote Himalayan communities in India and Nepal.

Taking its name from ancient Himalayan stone beads that impart protection and health upon wearers, the dZi Foundation focuses on three main areas of community need: education, hygiene, and quality of life. The foundation intimately involves local communities in the aid process, encouraging them to vocalize what assistance they could most use.

Jim Nowak, dZi Foundation co-founder and executive director, will discuss dZi programs, show video footage of projects in eastern Nepal, and answer questions about the foundation. Presented by the Peace Corp Volunteers Association of Utah, Nowak hopes his lecture will ignite the flame of idealism in the spirits of all ambitious and kind-hearted souls who attend.

Turning Hope into Reality for Forgotten Himalayan Communities @ Salt Lake City Main Library, 210 E. 400 South, Room A, 801- 466-7749, Jan. 21, 7 p.m. slcpl.lib.ut.us