Deborah came to the US by herself in September of 2022. She received her Bachelor of Economics and Management from Université Chrétienne Cardinal Malula. In Congo, she worked as a secretary and then in customer management at another company. When she first came to the US, she worked at Amazon. After Havenly, she started working full-time at our employment partner, MATCH Manufacturing. She now works at KX Technologies.

Marta has been in the US for 7 years prior to joining our training program. She has 7 sons, but only 1 was able to come with her to the US. In Angola, she had her own business for more than 30 years. When she first came here, she worked in housekeeping for 4 years and then at PEZ Candy and Amazon. After graduating from Havenly, she received a full-time job at our employment partner, Yale New Haven Hospital.

Tahani is from Khartoum, Sudan and received her high school diploma from Essam- El Sheikh High School. When she first came to the US, she worked at Amazon as a packer and was quickly promoted to a sales associate. She now works at the Havenly kitchen.

Lucero moved to the US from Peru by herself only 8 months before joining our training program. She was 24 at the time. At Havenly, she was able to find a strong community to support her.

Fatehia came to the US over 10 years ago with her husband and 4 young children. She received her high school diploma from Karri High School in Omdurman, Sudan. Prior to joining Havenly's training program, she worked at Edible Arrangements as a kitchen worker. She now works in the Havenly kitchen.

Patricia came to the US with her three young kids due to threats of violence in her town. In Ecuador, she had her own store where she sold food with her daughters.

Meryem is from Khouribga, Morocco and earned her high school diploma from Valley of Gold High School. She loves to cook and has successfully launched a home-based catering business, specializing in Syrian cuisine. She is also an experienced henna stylist and makeup artist.

Safaa is from Damascus, Syria and has three young kids with her. Her passion lies in cooking and she  successfully started an in-house catering business when she lived in Amman, Jordan. She now works at the Havenly kitchen as an assistant kitchen manager, helping train new fellows and assisting with cafe operations. 

Yajaira moved to the US with her 3-year-old son only 7 months before joining our training program. When she moved here, her biggest challenge was being alone and not having people to rely on. At Havenly, she was able to find a strong community of women to support her. She now works as a nail technician at Pink Nails.

Lety came to the US in the year 2000 and has since become a citizen. In Cuba, she studied and worked in chemical engineering, but wasn't able to work in that industry here due to language barriers. She now works at a Cuban restaurant called Sol de Cuba.

Alison came to the US in July of 2022 with her son. In Peru, she was a nutritionist and had a small business specializing in weight loss for women and prostate health for men.

Wassila came to Havenly from Lome, Togo, where she was a seamstress. She is now working at YMCA daycare in Meriden.

M. came to the US 8 months before joining our program. She now works full-time at our employment partner, CERCLE.

R. is from Damascus, Syria and has 6 children. Her dream is to work in childcare. She is now working full-time at our employment partner, CERCLE. 

Originally from Yemen, S. is a passionate early childhood education teacher at Morning Glory Learning Center.

Aisha is from Darfur, Syria. She moved to Egypt and then to the US in 2012. She is a mother to 8 children. Previously, she worked as a food service worker at Tikkaway for 2 years. After graduating from Havenly, she was employed as an environmental worker at Attaqwa Mosque in New Britain.

Giannina is from Miraflores, Peru. She earned her cosmetology license there from Santa Rita De Casia. Upon coming to the US, she worked as a kitchen assistant at Omni hotel and Somos Peru. She loves making tamales and is starting a Peruvian food business called Delicias De Giani.

Laila is a mother to three children. She moved to the US in 2016 and had never worked before. She joined Havenly to gain more kitchen training and experience so she can start her own food catering business, Laila Haven. She is a skillful cook with five years of experience in cooking for various events and occasions. After graduating from Havenly, she was employed as a dining hall worker at a public school.

Adelina is from Luanda, Angola. There, she received her education from Institut Superier des Techniques Medicales (ISTM) and became a registered nurse at Centro De Saude Ndozi and Clinica Manomis. After coming to the US and graduating from Havenly, she was employed as an Early Childhood Teacher Apprentice at CERCLE, one of our employment partners.

Hanaa came to the US in 2022 with her 2 children. She earned a bachelor's degree in social services and worked as a secretary in an import-export company for four years prior to coming here. Joining havenly helped her achieve financial independence and become highly productive. She is employed as a kitchen staff at Havenly. 

Eman is from Jaresh, Jordan where she received her high school diploma from Lubaba Bint Al Harith High School. She is a mother to 3 children. She came to the US in 2013. Upon coming here, she worked as a cashier at Gulf Gas Station and decorator at Edible Arrangements. She is now a kitchen staff at Havenly.

Mawazo came to the US in 2019. She is a mother to 8 children and has 11 grandchildren. She earned her high school diploma in Congo. She went on to work as a teacher in refugee camps and schools in Tanzania. Upon coming to the US and graduating from Havenly, she found employment as a daycare teacher at Morning Glory Early Learning Center.

Roya came to the US in 2015. She is a mother to 4 children. She never attended school in Afghanistan due to restrictions in female education, but started learning English upon arriving to the US. She had never worked before but would love to work so she can support her family back in Afghanistan. She is employed as a kitchen staff at Havenly. 

Bothyna has been in the US for over 12 years. She attended Dolgo High School in North Sudan. Upon coming to the US, she worked as a childcare provider and as a kitchen worker at Edible Arrangements. She is employed as a kitchen staff at Havenly after graduating from our program.

Nathalie is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In Congo, she received her high school diploma from Selembao Institute and worked at a restaurant. She had to flee the war in Congo and moved to Brazil, where she worked at a refugee camp at Casa DE' Assis. She worked at a plantation to earn money to come to the US. She is employed as a kitchen staff at Havenly after graduating from our program.

Paruin is a talented chef of Aghani traditional food and has experience with childcare. She came to the US in 2020. She is a mother to 2 children. Upon graduating from Havenly, she is pursuing further education.

Sara is from Angola, Africa and received her high school diploma from Pamuke School Complex High School in Congo. She fled the country with her husband due to familial and political issues. Upon coming to the US, she worked in customer services at AIGA. She recently gave birth to a baby boy in December 2023. 

Mashair is a mother to 10 children. They came to the US in 2016. In Sudan, she received her high school diploma from Abdou Rabou and studied computer science at Red Sea University. After university, she worked as a content writer for Port Sudan Radio. Upon coming to the US, she worked at Farmington Laundromat. Her dream is to work in childcare and not have to worry about her children's futures.

Hind is from Khartoum, Sudan and moved to the US in 2010 to flee the war. In Sudan, she studied agricultural engineering through college. In the US, she worked as an assistant teacher at West Haven Child Development Center and as a decorator at Edible Arrangements. Her priority is to work so she can help her family in Sudan since she left them behind. 

Feleg is from Tigray, Ethiopia. There, she received her high school diploma from Axum High School and wroked as a cashier and bookkeeper. Upon coming to the US, she worked as a cook at Lalibella. After graduating from the Havenly fellowship, she was employed as a food worker at SCSU.

Faiza is from Kasla, the eastern part of Sudan. She came to the US in 2006. Prior to Havenly, she was a stay-at-home mother with little to occupy her time. After graduating from the Havenly fellowship, she opened her own bakery of Sudanese cookies called Faiza's bakery.

Elham came to the US in 2022. She is married and has 2 children. In Sudan, she studied nursing and worked at a hospital. Upon graduating from Havenly, she was employed as an early childhood education apprentice by CERCLE, one of Havenly's employment partners.

Ghyzlane is from Casablanca, Morocco. In Morocco, she worked as a childcare and eldercare provider. Upon graduating from Havenly, she was employed as a daycare worker at Phyllis Bodel Childcare Center, one of Havenly'ds employment partners.

Safa came to the US on November 2022. In Sudan, she graduated from the University of Khartoum and worked as a medical assistant in a health clinic. Upon graduating from Havenly, she pursued her higher education at Connecticut State Community College while working as an Amazon warehouse assistant.

Saida is a warmhearted person with a passion for early childhood education and has experience in caretaking for children. Before coming to Havenly, Saida worked as a nanny for 3 years while also pursuing her tailoring business. She is now pursuing further education. Her dream is to become a nurse. 

Fifi moved to Tanzania after the war broke out in Congo. She received her high school diploma from Institut Del'Amitie. In Tanzania, she worked in the International Rescue Committee as a teacher and social worker. She then moved to the US in 2022. After graduating from Havenly, she was employed as a food service worker at Quinnipiac University.

Tajooj joined the Havenly fellowship three months after moving to the US so she can learn English. After graduating from Havenly, she pursued her higher education at Connecticut State Community College whileworking as an Amazon warehouse assistant and starting her own commercial cleaning business, ATA Cleaning.

Lorenza is from Tlaxcala, Mexico. She is married and has three children. In Mexico, she worked a desk job as a secretary. She immigrated to the US in 1995 to make a better life for herself and her family. Upon coming here, she found work pressing shirts and cleaning offices. She is now starting her own food business selling tamales, breads and cakes. 

Bikyeombe moved from Congo to Tanzania when the war broke out and found refuge in the US in September 2008. She is a mother to 7 children. In Tanzania, she was in a refugee camp for over 20 years, but still managed to receive her nursing certificate from Institut Technique Medicale and during that time. She is now pursuing  higher education.

Ivonne is from Ecuador but lived in Spain for 15 years. She has three children, one of which still lives in Ecuador. In Ecuador, she owned a beauty salon called La Pasarela. She is now starting her own beauty salon in the US called The Golden Hour.

Fikerte immigrated to the US in January 2019. She received her high school diploma from GSA Abyotkerse High School in Ethiopia. After graduating from Havenly, she was employed as a daycare worker at Creative Me.

Shekiba is originally from Afghanistan. She moved to Pakistan and lived there for 6 years. She then moved to the US in 2021. She is a mother to 6 children. After graduating from Havenly, she found employment as a kitchen staff in GIOIA. 

Suraya is from Kabul, Afghanistan. There, she received her high school diploma from Ariana High School and received her associates degree from Ustad Rabani Institute of Education and Training. She then worked as a team supervisor for Ariana Afghan Airlines before moving to the US and joining the Havenly fellowship in 2022. After graduating from Havenly, she found employment as a kitchen staff in GIOIA. 

Flor came to the US in 2010. She is a single mother of two children. In Ecuador, she worked as a domestic worker from the age of 15. In the US, she has worked as an accounting assistant at Connecticut Shellfish and a packaging clerk at Amazon. She is now pursuing higher education in dentistry.

Ragaa is from Darfur, Sudan. She is a mother to three children. She lived in Egypt for 15 years before moving to the US in 2020 after waiting for her immigration paperwork for over 10 years. After graduating from Havenly, she was employed as an early childhood education apprentice at CERCLE, one of our employment partners. 

Hiba came to the US in 2020. She is a mother to two children. In Sudan, she worked as an accountant and then in an electrical government agency. After graduating from Havenly, she was employed as a daycare worker at Phyllis Bodel Child Care Center, one of our employment partners.

Addis has been in the US for over 7 years. She is a mother to two children. She has vast experience as a hair stylist. She is now pursuing her education. Her dream is to give her kids everything they deserve.

Badria was born and raised in Saudi Arabia, but her roots are in Nigeria. She is a mother of three children. She came to the US in 2011 with her family. In Saudi Arabia, she started working in housekeeping at the age of 10. After graduating from Havenly, she found employment as a food worker at West Haven Public Schools

Wisal is a mother of two boys. She has been in the US for over 10 years. Before coming to Havenly, she worked at Amazon. After graduating from Havenly, she was employed as a food worker at the University of New Haven, one of our employment partners.

Isabel came to the US in 2017 due to Mexico's declining economy. In Mexico, she worked various different jobs such as bricklayer, carpenter, furniture finisher, and waitress. After graduating from Havenly, she became a Spanish interpreter with her own LLC.

Generosa is from Luanda, Angola. She came to the US in July of 2022 due to political reasons. She has a bachelor's degree in economics and accounting from Angola. She is a mother to two children. After graduating from Havenly, she became a fellow with Afrique Prospere.

Ruth is from Soyo, Angola. She moved from Angola to Brazil in 2020 and then to the US. She is a mother to four children. Before coming to Havenly, she was a housekeeper. She is now pursuing higher education.

Mina came to the US in 2016. She is married and has two daughters. Before coming to Havenly, she was a house aid. After graduating from the Havenly fellowship, she was employed as a kitchen manager. She loves meeting new people and exchanging ideas and experiences. 

Massoma came to the US in September of 2016. She is married and has two children. In Afghanistan, she was a middle school teacher for 15 years, but couldn't find a job when she got to the US. After graduating from Havenly, she found employment as an early childhood educator at YMCA.

Mawlooda is a mother to 5 children. She arrived in the US in 2021. She loves working in the kitchen and would like to open her own restaurant. Her dream is to be independent and run her own life.

Hameda came to the US 4 months before joining the Havenly fellowship. She is a mother to 8 children. She loves cooking.

Munira came to the United States as a refugee five years ago along with her husband and three children. Munira's passion is cooking. She loves to cook food from her country and other Arab countries. Her biggest dream is to become a chef and start her own business.

Ana is from Tamaulipas, Mexico and has been in the United States for over 16 years. She has 4 children. When she first arrived in the United States, she cooked and sold food from home for 3 years. Ana then worked in cleaning services for 2 years and worked in Cositas for 5 years. After graduating from Havenly, she founded a collective called Tortilleria Semilla.

Sima came to the US from Afghanistan in 2015. She is a mother of two kids: a 9 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. When she first came to the United States, she moved to Virginia for 3 years where she worked as a bus monitor. Then, she completed her GED Classes at New Haven Adult Education Center and cooked for IRIS before joining Havenly's fellowship program.

Denisse is from Oaxaca, Mexico. Her dream is to create a safe community for women to reconstruct their lives according to their choices. Specifically, she has a passion for supporting women who have experienced domestic violence. She studied psychology and is pursuing a career as a life coach. 

Entisar came to the United States in 2002. Today, she lives with her husband and 4 children in New Haven. Her dream is to be able to help her husband since he is the only one in the family who is working. Entisar loves to cook and would like to pursue a job in the culinary industry.

Tahani immigrated from Sudan and has been in the United States for over 8 years. She is married with 2 kids. She graduated from high school in Sudan and completed a year of college for accounting. Tahani's passion lies in sewing and designing. 

Ibtissam moved to America in 2018 with her daughter. Before coming to the US, she was a babysitter in Morocco. She now lives in West Haven and works as our assistant kitchen manager at Havenly.

Adila came to the United States less than three years ago. She is a mother of five. She was in school until the eighth grade, then worked in a clothing industry sewing traditional bridal clothes. She learned about Havenly's fellowship program through IRIS and honed her kitchen skills in the Havenly kitchen. 

Kawther joined Havenly's fellowship program in 2022. After completing the Havenly fellowship program, she was employed as a floating teacher by our employment partner, Phyllis Bodell Daycare Center. She is now moving to Michigan.

Samira has been in the United States for over 4 years. She has two daughters. She received her high school degree and was a teacher in Sudan. Upon coming to the US, she worked at a childcare center in New Haven for two years.

Safaa came to the United States in 2016 and lives in West Haven. She has 4 children. She received her high school degree in Syria. Her dream is to professionally develop her skills so that she can become a school teacher. 

Raneem has been in the United States for over 7 years. She has three children and a husband. She received a high school degree in Syria. Upon arriving in America, she worked in housekeeping. After graduating from Havenly, she first worked at Quinnipiac, then was employed by YMCA Daycare.

Silvia moved to the United States over 6 years ago. She is a single mother of two children. In Guatemala, she studied business administration and had her own small business. Her goals include improving her english so that she can start her own business in America and teach her kids english. Her dream is to be able to help people from her home country.

Maricela came to the United States in 2014 with her husband and son. In Mexico, she worked in restaurants, but upon coming to the US, she worked in factories. Her dream is to work in the food industry and open her own food truck. 

Aisha, originally from Darfur, lived in Egypt for several years before moving to New Haven with her five children nine years ago. Since moving, she has worked multiple jobs but has never found the opportunity to take ownership of her own schedule. Aisha works at the Whitney Center as a member of their dining staff, while studying for her GED.

Badria, mother of five, migrated to the U.S. in 2014 after living in Egypt for a few years. Before Egypt, Badria worked on a farm in Sudan growing peanuts, okra, and garlic. Today, Badria dreams of becoming a nurse - a role she believes will allow her to serve her community. She is now a dining associate at Yale New Haven Hospital while she continues her studies.

Jenny is a member of the Semilla Collective, where she organizes for immigrant justice in New Haven. She has a degree and experience in finance and accounting, but has faced obstacles in building a career in the U.S. Jenny wants to create a cooperatively-run daycare with other women in the Havenly community, a place where differences are celebrated. She recently received a degree in business development at Cornell University. 

Hana is a mother of three who moved to the United States in 2016. In Syria, Hana worked in a Damascan salon as a hairstylist. But her true passions lie in baking desserts, and Havenly has reinvigorated Hana’s aspirations of becoming a renowned pastry chef in New Haven. Hana is off to a cake styling course after the program.

Sandra is a Guatemalan mother of three who has been living in the United States for five years. In addition to organizing alongside the Semille Collective, Sandra holds a passion for food and cooking quickly made her indispensable in the Havenly kitchen. At present, Sandra is working on building her own food business, Cocina de Sandra, while getting her GED.

Cena grew up on the border of Sudan and Chad in a region called Al Jinena. Today, she lives in New Haven with her son and husband. Cena is a passionate learner, and dreams of continuing her college education here in the U.S. and becoming a Certified Nurse Assistant. She is now a dining associate at Yale New Haven Hospital while she continues her studies.

After living as a refugee in Chad for eleven years, Hawaye moved with her four children to the United States in 2015. A true go-getter, Hawaye studied for her ServSafe examination ahead of the fellowship schedule and passed with flying colors. Hawaye now works at Southern Connecticut University as an associate in their dining hall!

Amna, commonly known in the Havenly community as “Amona,” moved to West Haven from the North of Sudan with her husband and five sons. With limited English, it was difficult for Amona to gain employment. She has been able to break down these barriers during her time at Havenly, and now works at the University of New Haven Dining Services as a baker.

María is a dedicated mother of 3 who came to New Haven by way of Guatemala three years ago. She provides for her family here as well as back in Guatemala, and has a dream to run her own daycare business. 

Amna is a mother of six with a passion for food, and Sudanese food in particular. Havenly was her first job. She speaks French and Arabic as she grew up between Sudan and Chad. Amna hopes to one day open a food cart and is a food service worker at the University of New Haven.

Safa is a mother on a mission to support other mothers through prenatal care and childcare. In Sudan, she ran a center providing services and childcare to early mothers. She studied early childhood development and prenatal care. She is now working at EBJ childcare, and hopes to learn enough to open her own center one day. 

Maria has lived in New Haven for over twenty years and always dreamed of opening a business with her husband. She was selected as a venture in the Collab and CitySeed 2020 Food Business Accelerator, and is launching Alegria Cafe, an Italian-Mexican food truck.   

Maha is a mother of four on her way to becoming a dentist assistant. She has a degree as a veterinarian in Sudan, but when it was not recognized in the US, she got by through jobs as a homeaid nurse. Maha was recently accepted into a dental assistant program at a community college. 

Esmeralda is a single mother of two on her way to a career in nursing. She wants to become a nurse because of how little access immigrants in her community have to health care. She is saving up for nursing school by working as a grocery clerk for a family-owned business. 

Kobra is a mother of two raising three kids in New Haven. She studied accounting in Sudan and hopes to work in the food business after she gets another degree in accounting here in the US. Her dream, one day, is to become a member of Congress to advocate for refugees and Muslim Americans. She is now working at the University of New Haven.  

Mutiaa is a mother of three with a strong attention to detail, organizational capacity, and passion for learning. After graduating, Mutiaa began working as a pharmacist assistant. She is building up the hours to become certified as a pharmacy technician. 

Mashair is from Sudan, where her and her husband studied law. She has a strong passion for teaching and education, and is working as a warehouse associate at Amazon to save up to go back to school.   

Siham has been living in the United States for 22 years with her seven children. Her dream is to own and operate a cultural community center for the Sudanese Community in West Haven and New Haven, of which she has become a leader. Siham works as a baker at the University of New Haven. 

Hala is a mother of four and fierce leader in the Syrian community in New Haven. She gave birth during the fellowship, and a few months later, was hired as a baker at the University of New Haven. Since her hire, Hala has been promoted and began making Syrian desserts for the dining hall. She was also hired as an ambassador for the University Dining Program, helping recruit and train other refugee and immigrant women. 

Faten is a mother with a passion for beauty and styling. She was a hair stylist in Syria, and hopes to pursue a career in the beauty sector. She is currently living with her family in Pennsylvania.