Entrepreneur: Hussein Duale
Business: Grocery Store
Country of Origin: Somalia

          Intense conversation fills the room, as the savory waves of rich Somali stews and freshly baked bread waft the air in the cozy little café Hussein Duale runs on Tukwila International Blvd. Providing a good income for his wife and five children, as well as a place for the neighborhood to gather, eat and gossip, Hussein seems a very happy man. Surveying his lively customers, he smiles broadly, like the king of a tiny island. Hussein Duale fled the civil war in Somalia in 1991. He lived in a Kenyan Refugee camp for four years, where he studied English before coming to the United States 1995. Hussein arrived in Seattle in 2001. For the first few years here in the U.S. Hussein ran a small janitorial business, but he wanted to open a restaurant and coffee shop near the mosque he and his family frequent. Through word of mouth, he learned about the Refugee Resettlement Office. He came in and  met with Greg Hope. They talked about the possibilities of the IDA Savings Program, and Hussein signed on. He worked hard to save $2,000 in six months. The program matched his savings. With the $4,000 Hussein and his partner, Adam Farhia, were able to buy all the equipment and make all the necessary repairs and renovations to open their restaurant. Over time, Hussein’s restaurant has become a hub of the tiny Somali community in south Seattle. People meet to discuss plans, exchange news, or just to relax and escape the stresses of live in the city for a few hours. It is a wonderful place to unwind and spend time with the family. Hussein’s wife cooks all the food and brings a slice of Somalia into people’s hearts. Hussein’s whole family is thriving, and so is his community. He’s brought a small slice of the American Dream to Tukwila International Boulevard, and is very pleased with himself for doing so. 

Entrepreneur: Abbasbay
Business: Baku Stars Limo
Country of Origin: Azerbaijan




Abbasbay and his wife Nigyar arrived in the USA in April 2003 after fleeing persection in Azerbaijan. They have two small children and have struggled to make ends meet - working several low paying part-time jobs.
In July 2004 they enrolled in the JumpStart Program. They wanted to start a limo/executive car se4rvice to transport travelers between the airpot and hotels, chauffer clients to business meetings, and drive tourists around town. Abbasbay gained driving experience working for another company. They requested assistance getting business licenses, insurance and a loan. In October they also enrolled in RRO's Individual Development Account (IDA) Program to assist with saving for their car. The IDA Program provides matched savings for low-income refugees and asylees to assist with the purchase of an asset - a car, computer, or a home - or to establish a business. All savings must be from earned income (for more info about our IDA Program click here)
By March 2005 Abbasbay and Nigyar had developed a business plan and saved $4,000. With IDA matching funds, they were able to purchase a pre-owned Lincoln Towncar. Their car has a sleek black exterior and a pear gray leather interior. JumpStart provided a small loan to cover the insurance and licese fees. Baku's Stars Towncar service earned more than $500 in its first week of business. Nigyar said that they would not have been able to start their business so soon without JumpStart's help. If you have a trip planned to the airport, or a guest arriving from out of town, call Abbasbay for a luxurious ride and quick, safe, dependable service.
Ha can be reached at this number: 206.354.5079

Entrepreneur: Kooki Davis
Business: African Connection Wearable Art
Country of Origin: Trinidad



Kooki Davis' home radiates with African charm. Brightly colored home-sewn dolls stand in the corners of the living room, and mud cloth of earth hues hans in scraps and strips from the walls of her sewing room. Her energy is boundless.

Born in Trinidad, Kooki moved to Tukwila with her husband Gilbert couple of years ago from the Bay Area in California. When she arrived in the area, she knew that she needed to find a way to earn a living. While in California she had designed and fabricated exquisite fabric dolls, but there wasn't a market for them in Seattle. So, she applied her sewing skills and her eye for color to make "wearable art".

Kooki gathers scraps of materials and fabrics of every color and texture to use in the creation process. Her husband, Gilbert, has many friends from Africa that supply her studio with African textiles. Their favorite African textiles are mudclothes - the fabric from which the business gets its name.
 Mudcloth is an Africal fabric made by an elaborate  process in which the artist weaves raw cotton, and then dyes it over a period of few months with natural dyes made of leaves, bark and mud. The designs are painted on with sticks, and the process is repeated many times. Kooki uses this fabric in the tunics and jackets that she sews, and to cover walking sticks that she sells to dramatic African story tellers.

JumpStart gave Kooki a loan to pay for an industrial-strength sewing machine that she could use for heavier fabrics. So far the machine has paid off, allowing Kooki to experiment with textiles she's never used before. Look for Kooki's new line of wonderful "wearable art" at local arts festivals this summer!