Washington Candle Company Helps Refugees Rebuild Lives

After spending 30 years in a Tanzanian refugee camp, Maguno arrived in Washington state with a goal that mattered more than anything else. She wanted to repay the travel loan that brought her family to America.

Like most refugees resettled in the US, Maguno had to pay back the cost of her flights after arrival. But finding work proved nearly impossible without English fluency, local references, or an American employment record.

That's where Relume changed everything. The Olympia-based candle company was founded specifically to hire newly arrived refugees, offering them paid work that doesn't require perfect English or previous US experience.

Friends Rand Roedell and Karima Bassalé started Relume after watching refugees in the Pacific Northwest struggle to find jobs despite desperately needing income. Employers kept asking for fluent English and local references that new arrivals simply couldn't provide.

"These people are our friends, we know them, and hiring them has been a great joy for us," said Bassalé. Candle making turned out to be the perfect solution because it can be taught on the job without requiring formal education or language fluency.

The work goes beyond pouring wax into recycled glass jars. Volunteers teach English classes during work hours, and employees get paid for that learning time. Families gather for meals, turning the workshop into a genuine community.

For Maguno, the steady paycheck meant everything. She worked at Relume until she could finally pay off her travel loan completely, a moment that felt like honoring the chance America had given her family.

"I feel like I'm being honest, that is why I paid off the loan," she said. "Work is good for a human being. When you are healthy you must work."

The Ripple Effect

Eiman arrived from Syria in December 2024 with her husband and two young sons, facing the same uncertainties Maguno had known. The early days felt overwhelming without language skills or connections in their new home.

Working at Relume changed her outlook completely. "Relying on myself, interacting more with people, gaining a better understanding of the language, and earning money have all empowered me," she said.

Relume now ships its sustainable candles made from US-grown soy wax and phthalate-free fragrances to customers across 40 states. The company's growth proves people will support businesses where the human story matters, as long as the product itself is worth buying.

For Bassalé, watching Maguno pay off her debt revealed something deeper about what steady employment unlocks. "There's restoration that takes place within a person, when they can work, particularly if they have been unable to for decades due to their circumstance, which was no fault of their own," she said.

The candlemakers are building more than work experience—they're building the foundation for independent American lives.