“Whether you’re a refugee or a citizen, all of us have a dream.” What does it mean to run your own business? For someone rebuilding their life after a crisis, it can be a lifeline, providing independence, income and a chance to contribute to their community.

Forced to flee Haiti alone after an attempted attack on her home, Michelda sought safety in Mexico. Here, she found hope through the IRC’s Resilient Futures Program, supported by the Citi Foundation, which helps refugees build new lives through job training and employment opportunities. Now, Michelda is learning sustainable farming at the Iniciativa Agroecológica Xochimilco school, growing not just crops, but her dreams of a stable future.

“I want everyone to become beekeepers!” Five years ago Huthafia received a grant from the IRC and Citi Foundation's Resilient Futures program to turn his hobby of beekeeping into a business. Since then, Huthaifa has faced bee-killing pesticides and shared honey with King Charles III.

The IRC and Citi Foundation work together to provide business training and grants to vulnerable people around the world.