She poured candles and paid off her family's travel loan

A social enterprise in Olympia, Washington, called Relume pays newly arrived refugees to hand-pour soy candles while they practise English and build a US work history. The idea came from friends Rand Roedell and Karima Bassal\u00e9, who watched refugees in the Pacific Northwest stall out in job applications over language, references and the simple hesitation of employers to hire someone who had just arrived. Candle-making solved that. It can be taught on the job and needs no fluent English. One maker, Maguno, arrived in 2023 after fleeing war in the Congo and spending 30 years in a Tanzanian refugee camp. With her Relume wages she paid off the loan that covered her family's flights to the US. \u201cIt was joyous and emotional when we learned she paid off her travel loan debt,\u201d Bassal\u00e9 said. The company now ships to 40 states. For a candle business, that is a useful kind of light to be making.