Refugee Artisan Initiative

Refugee Artisan Initiative (RAI) partners with refugee and immigrant women as they work to achieve economic stability. At RAI, artisans overcome barriers to employment through skills and micro business training while handcrafting goods from recycled materials. This innovative approach champions both equity and sustainability!

The Mission:

Refugee Artisan Initiative (RAI) partners with refugee and immigrant women to foster an inclusive, prosperous transition to the US through artisan skills training and microbusiness development.

“RAI has become family in my new community.”

The Challenge:

Refugee and immigrant women have one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Language barriers and cultural differences can make it challenging for women to discover how to apply their skills to create work opportunities. At RAI, we help women utilize and improve skills that they have developed in their home country. We help connect these artisans with job opportunities so that they can gain economic independence and contribute to their family and community. In many cases RAI helps the women receive their first personal paycheck in the US!

The Vision:

A community that values and invests in refugee and immigrant women as they achieve economic independence.

"In my country, women cannot work like the men do, so I am grateful for this good opportunity."