Meet Omari & Zaina, entrepreneurs who opened a childcare business with support from the IRC.

Omari and Zaina are originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While living in a refugee camp, they would take care of other children who lived in their camp community. In December of 2017, Omari and Zaina were resettled to Utah and developed a desire to start their own childcare business in their new community. As part of the IRC’s Refugee Childcare Business program, they continued to learn English and recently became licensed to watch kids at their home, launching their new at-home childcare business—Zaina Ngandu. With the opening of Zaina Ngandu, they hope to provide quality care and services for working families in their West Valley neighborhood.

You can learn more about Zaina Ngandu & check out their availability here »

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Salt Lake City offers a comprehensive suite of Entrepreneurship & Economic Wellbeing services that include four distinct programs: Spice Kitchen Incubator, New Roots, Financial Capabilities, and Small Business. These programs address local business needs and assist refugees, new Americans, and other LMI individuals in pursuing economic mobility and financial self-sufficiency.

Many new Americans come to the U.S. with broad skillsets and previous business experience, but often do not have the know-how of operating a business in the U.S. context. The Small Business program at the IRC provides refugees who want to own a business with support as they look to start, maintain, or expand their small businesses in Salt Lake City. By taking advantage of the bundled services offered at the IRC, a refugee entrepreneur can achieve their dreams of small business ownership by receiving services uniquely tailored to their needs in the community, including access to training, coaching, industry-expert connections and business capital loans and matched savings.

Omari and Zaina are one of many more refugee and New American owned businesses that have graduated from the IRC's entrepreneurship program. Check out the full list at our Small Business Directory »