Refugee candlemakers rebuilding lives through work

Refugee candlemakers rebuilding lives through work

The text you shared highlights the positive impact of Relume, an artisan candle company founded to help resettled refugees in the Pacific Northwest overcome barriers to employment. Here’s a summary of the key points:

– **Importance of Work:** Maguno, a worker at Relume, emphasizes that work is essential for meeting basic needs like food, housing, and paying bills. She values the opportunity to work, seeing it as a sign of honesty and a way to honor the support her family received when coming to the US.

– **Relume’s Mission:** Founded by Rand Roedell and Karima Bassalé, Relume addresses challenges refugees face while seeking employment, such as language barriers, lack of US work experience, and employer hesitation to hire newly arrived individuals.

– **Practical Approach:** Candlemaking at Relume is chosen as suitable work because the skills can be learned on the job without needing fluent English or formal education, providing refugees a path to earn while improving language and job skills.

– **Community Involvement and Ethical Production:** The company not only gives refugees jobs but also invites the broader community to be part of the solution by purchasing sustainably made candles. Their products use soy wax from US-grown beans, phthalate-free fragrances, and recyclable materials — combining a quality product with a meaningful mission.

– **Personal Success:** Maguno has been able to repay a loan that helped bring her family to the US, demonstrating the tangible benefits and empowerment work at Relume provides.

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