Zoomed in on Gicumbi

For the last 3 years, TWB has made tremendous strides toward achieving our milestones. Bakeries have launched throughout the country of Rwanda and the TWB staff has almost tripled. These are signs of success.

In 2018, TWB is focusing on Gicumbi as our next training and bakery launch site. Our preparations are on a good track, including developing the training schedule, partner relationships, and interview process for the participants. We will be launching the training for this group on April 23rd.

Gicumbi is in the northern part of Rwanda. Within this community, TWB will be working with Rwandans, as well as a diverse group of refugees living in the Gihembe Refugee Camp. The location offers a good business opportunity because of the local demans for food products. Additionally, those living within the refugee camp do not have farms to cultivate, so they only rely on the crops that are produced by the local Rwandans.

In terms of bread demand, our market testing has been positive. TWB has found a need for the breads in this district because most of the breads are brought from Kigali.

TWB breads use locally sourced ingredients and are highly nutritious, delicious and affordable. Among children under the age of 5 years, stunting levels were 36.6% in Gicumbi district according to the Demographic Health Survey in 2015. Thus, our breads can be a mechanism to fight against malnutrition and improve families’ nutrition as well as nutrition for the entire community.

Moreover, the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, in coordination with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), recently changed their subsidy program for refugees in Rwanda. They are piloting a cash-subsidy system – meaning that each refugee, rather than being given her allotted rice or corn subsidy, is given the cash equivalent. The hope is that the cash system will spawn micro-economies.

Stay tuned and will be updated for more progress on this new opportunity arising…

This is #breadpower. 

Julie and Aime on a recent site visit to TWB’s upcoming bakery site in Gicumbi, Rwanda. 

Partnering with Sophie & the U.S. Peace Corps

This month, after six weeks of intensive training, 17 women and 3 men successfully completed TWB’s business & bakery launch training in the Rutsiro District, Western Rwanda. 

With over 60 hours of baking practical and 60 additional hours of business oversight from TWBs comprehensive curriculum, the graduates of Mama Dunia’s Co-Op gained skills in recipe reading, baking, raw materials use, inventory, accounting, and sales.

Typically, TWB is approached by other non-profits, organizations, and groups for our training and business launch service package.

In this case, however, current Peace Corps Volunteer, Sophie Hart, connected TWB to this training group, and became the first Peace Corps Volunteer to help facilitate a partnership between TWB and the US Peace Corps. 

Peace Corps Volunteers serve communities around the world in various sectors (education, agriculture, etc.) for a total of 2 years. Having recently completed her service, she is well-versed in local community needs and has helped bring together a local co-op, the community, and TWB to make bakery launch a reality!

Following the launch of this new bakery, TWB spoke with Sophie about her experiences with the training program and how she believes the community bakery can provide both education and economic opportunity for all.  

TWB: Why were you motivated to connect your Peace Corps community with TWB?

Sophie Hart: I was motivated to connect the Bumba community with TWB because of the community center's desire to provide jobs for women and to improve nutrition in the area. I knew that the community was serious about having this bakery, and excited to improve the lives of the people working in it. Jackie, the president of the cooperative, is also one of my closest friends in my community. I know her to be a responsible, empathetic woman who is passionate about this project.

TWB: How do you envision the launch of a bakery with the Mama Dunia Co-Op impacting the community at large?

Sophie Hart: I see the launch of this bakery as having a very positive impact on the community at large. People are interested in having bread, and I believe they will become even more enthusiastic over time as they learn about the nutritious elements of the bread coming from the Dunia bakery. Through providing employment for women, this project
will help improve the lives of their families.

TWB: Which part of the training did you enjoy the most? Did anything surprise you?

Sophie Hart: I enjoyed the hands on baking training the most. It was fun to see everyone getting a chance to participate and learn experientially.

TWB: Share some of the most important learnings you have had in working for economic opportunity with women.

Sophie Hart: I think one of the most important things I've learned in working for economic opportunity with women is that when women are provided with the opportunities to learn and
develop new skills, they are eager and excited to use them. Women are statistically more likely than men to spend money earned on improving the lives of their children, so
investing in women is not only an important tool of empowerment in their lives, but also an investment in the future of our world.

Thanks to Sophie – and the U.S. Peace Corps – for helping both men and women in Western Rwanda access education and employment with TWB. That’s real bread power. You can learn more by reading our October Newsletter here.