Seasons
To everything in life there is a season. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to sow and a time to reap. For The Women’s Bakery, this year has already held many seasons.
In January, we sowed the seeds of recommitment to our social enterprise model and fully leaned into The Women’s Bakery 2.0. In February, we rolled up our sleeves and began kneading out more efficient bakery workflows and operations. These skills were honed in large thanks to Rob VanErven, baker extraordinaire, on loan from corporate partner Rademaker, BV.
In March, we celebrated the strength of women with International Women’s Day. April brought a season of remembrance for the 25th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. May ushered in a season of honoring the mothers in our lives, especially the bread winners at The Women’s Bakery. And June brought a season of loss and sadness.
At the beginning of June, we learned from The Women’s Bakery’s first employee and Co-Founder, Julie Greene, that her time with the company was drawing to a close. The next week, our team was forced to grieve another loss - a strong bakery woman, Kayitesi, who died unexpectedly.
Both of these women embody the spirit, values, and principles of The Women’s Bakery.
To Kayitesi, we say rest in peace strong woman.
To Julie, we say thank you. Words are not enough to describe Julie’s incredible contributions to and impact on The Women’s Bakery. She has been an integral part of birthing, fostering, and building The Women’s Bakery to the place it is today. She gave her blood, sweat, and tears to ensure that the bakery women had every opportunity for gainful employment and social empowerment in their lives, and she committed herself to supplying communities with access to nutritious, affordable breads. The world is a better place because of this work. Julie, you are an incredible person. Thank you for leading us, working alongside us, and making us better. You will forever be a part of The Women’s Bakery and we will be forever grateful to and for you.
And so like The Byrds said, “To every season, [we] turn, turn, turn.”
Enriching Our World
I believe that as global citizens we must get to know and understand each other.
By Ann Baruch
My visit to Rwanda in 2018 is one of my most memorable life experiences.
Prior to the trip I knew Markey Culver well and admired her tremendously. I was eager to see The Women’s Bakery “in action” and enjoy other aspects of the country. I was drawn by the opportunity to better understand Rwanda's history and to meet people who are committed to building a strong future for their country. In addition, the chance to visit the gorillas was irresistible and the delight of a visit to a game preserve was compelling. I wanted to tour the city of Kigali and enjoy its museums and restaurants. "The land of 1000 hills” was calling to me, and I was not disappointed in any way!
I support TWB for many reasons.
I believe that people deserve a chance to be the very best that they can be.
I believe that women deserve an opportunity to develop the skills that enable them to support themselves and their children.
I believe that women have large amounts of untapped resources to contribute to the world.
I believe that those of us who are blessed with adequate resources have an obligation to share our talents and financial resources with others.
I believe that as global citizens we must get to know and understand each other.
I am inspired by the way in which the work of TWB contributes to all of these issues. I am inspired by the many ways in which Markey, and others, give so selflessly. I encourage others to give to TWB because I know that the contribution will make a basic and permanent difference in the lives of women. The empowerment of these women will inspire and provide skills and education to others. Our world is enriched by such efforts.
I hope that TWB will thrive and grow bigger and stronger. I hope that it will achieve financial security and serve as a model for other organizations. I hope that the courageous and dedicated founders will enjoy the delight of knowing what a tremendous contribution they have made to the lives of others and to the world. I salute them and say a heartfelt “thank you”.
When a Logo is a Celebration
There were a few dances where women would stretch out their arms, sort of roll their wrists and point their fingertips up, and then sway/stomp from side to side.
2013
It was unlike any church service I’d ever been to—the farthest thing from church I’d experienced in the states. We’d walked a couple miles to get there. It lasted for hours. I couldn’t understand much of it, but it moved me spiritually, emotionally, challenged my beliefs, and opened me up to the wondrous range of humanity.
What I still hold onto today, and what influenced the logo for The Women’s Bakery, was the dancing. That Sunday, congregants of all age groups—the youngest children to the oldest widows, danced with a sort of confidence, a strength that comes with tradition and deep knowledge. It wasn’t a showy dance that people do at clubs or parties. It wasn’t self-aware, like so many of us do who never took dance lessons. It wasn’t sexual or silly—it was neither perfect nor performative. It was a storytelling sort of dance that isn’t about the dancer, but about the tradition. I’ve not seen dancing like this before. It was honest and simple. It was bold.
There were a few dances where women would stretch out their arms, sort of roll their wrists and point their fingertips up, and then sway/stomp from side to side. The rocking was like they were on a boat or paddle board—slow and subtle. Markey explained to me that this dance celebrates the harvest, and is performed at weddings and important ceremonies. The extended arms represented cow horns, a symbol of the animal so integral to their farming culture. The dance took on the form of the cow to celebrate the bounty.
When Markey asked me to design the logo for The Women’s Bakery, it was that sense of joyous abundance that I wanted to capture. Instead of a more literal loaf of bread or a shaft of wheat, I wanted the logo to embody the essence of joy that the dancers showed me at church that day. I wanted it to convey that steady, strong sway the women exhibited in their movements. I wanted the logo to honor their tradition. I didn’t want it to be about the bread, but about the celebration.
From what I understand, the first group of women who saw the logo cheered and clapped, and started dancing immediately.
I’ve been doing creative work for over a decade now, with lots of non-profits, b-corps and small businesses, and it’s so fulfilling. But I’m still humbled every time I see a picture of a women in East Africa wearing a shirt with that logo on it. I’m amazed each time I review a new batch of photos of strong women baking bread. I love the new creative challenges TWB brings to me as they grow and change. I’m in awe when I hear stories of villages who have gained access to breads and steady income, and changed households because of The Women’s Bakery. And I’m proud when donors catch the excitement and support the work.
My experience at that church reminded me that we’re all here on this earth, celebrating small, ordinary things—like a harvest—that are truly big things. And that’s what The Women’s Bakery is all about. It’s about a simple loaf of bread, changing the life of a woman forever. I’m so honored to be a part of that.
Bread Travels: Madrid, Spain
The international inspiration continued when, two weeks ago, Julie Greene and I had the opportunity to present The Women’s Bakery’s work to a wonderful audience in Madrid, Spain. Spain!
I’m continuously inspired by just how international The Women’s Bakery’s work is becoming.
On average, we receive between two to four emails a week from people all over the world requesting our model – or a portion of it – to implement in their community. South Africa, Botswana, Uganda, Kenya, Iran, Iraq, The Caribbean, Honduras, and India, just to name a few this year.
What’s exciting about these inquiries is, simply, that they exist. There are people around the world who, like us, had similar revelations that bread could be a powerful medium for women’s empowerment. They see that bakeries can spur an economic ecosystem – meet product demand and support employment for an entire chain of new workers. It’s powerful. Not because bakeries are a new thought, bread is as ancient as it gets, but because people see power in the ripple effect that one small bakery can have.
The international inspiration continued when, two weeks ago, Julie Greene and I had the opportunity to present The Women’s Bakery’s work to a wonderful audience in Madrid, Spain. Spain! How many people who run a small (but mighty) social enterprise get invited to present on a continent where they don’t (currently) operate? So cool.
The idea for the event began a year ago when Julie’s family friend, Pablo Martinez , suggested that people in Spain would be very interested to learn more about our work. Julie jumped at the opportunity and the planning began. Pablo is the CEO of Colección SOLO, a firm dedicated to showcasing the vibrancy and inspiration of contemporary art. He and his SOLO amazing team organized and executed a beautiful event showcasing TWB to a diverse, engaged audience. We presented at SOLO’s newly constructed, gorgeous art gallery and the evening was buzzing with excited conversation, ideas and inspiration.
This year is the first time we have had the opportunity to present to secondary and tertiary audiences. That means that no one in the audience, other than our one contact, knows us or is directly connected to us. It also means that people have the space to be more critical because they don’t have a personal investment in one of our team members. But, the enthusiasm in Madrid was palpable. People were so energized by TWB’s work and inspired by our vision.
When this happens – and the vision for the power of bread spreads – we are reminded of the why of what we do. We can’t wait to go back to Spain – and beyond!
