The Power of Two

TWB is the idea of two. The two founders, Markey and Julie, started the company and conducted the very first trainings in both Tanzania and Rwanda, beginning in 2015. As the company grew and more organizations got interested in our services, there was a need to hire another training facilitator to help me execute our training package.

I have been the first facilitator to join and run TWB trainings in Kigali and outside of Kigali. In September 2016, Denyse was hired as a training facilitator to work closely with me. We trained together in Bumba for the months of September and October. This November, we started a new training in the outskirts of Kigali, in a neighborhood called Ndera.

It was a very smooth training in Bumba when Denyse and I were training together.  We would plan together, review the lessons together, and agree on who was teaching what, how and when.  During the actual training, one would be teaching while the other was circulating the classroom making sure the students were following the trainer’s instructions. Also, when the trainer forgot something, the other would remind them of it.

This is what I call the power of two.  When two people come together and work together great things can happen.

TWB is built on the spirit of working together as a team. Our team works together really well, and women beneficiaries work together in our respective bakeries because we believe in the power of two.

“Stronger together” -- Hillary Clinton, 2016

“But knowledge we will not forget”

A few weeks ago, our senior staff members each took some time to answer the following question: What is the ideal state of the world that you are trying to achieve?

Not surprisingly, there were common themes throughout each of our answers. It turns out we really are a united front! Interestingly though, we all approached the same themes through our own unique lenses. One of us focused strongly on business to achieve our goals, one of us on human centered approaches, one of us on gender equity. Consistent in all of our ideals, however, was education.

“I view education as a catalyst for creating access to opportunity.”

“Education begins with unheard voices, shared stories, and grows into success upon the ownership of creative, new ideas.”

“If we are successful, we will be able to provide educational opportunities no matter an individual’s circumstances.”

“Education expands horizons, fosters understanding, and stimulates courage. Education is humanizing, and, because it is humanizing, education becomes an advocate for justice.”

 TWB focuses heavily on education because knowledge cannot be taken away; it can be endlessly passed on to others. In the words of one of our Tanzanian trainees, “If we had gotten money, we would have already used it, but knowledge we will not forget!” 

The Power of Education – One Woman’s Mission to Train Women of the World

Kigali, Rwanda

When we think about teachers, we often forget the impact they have on the number of students throughout their lifetime. This number can reach into the hundreds, or even thousands. The messages they craft and the lessons they deliver can have a profound effect on the next generation.

One teacher, curriculum developer, and empowerment implementer in particular, Anne Marie, inspired the Women’s Bakery team this past month in Kigali.

Over a meeting in Kicukiro at J. Lynn’s (a premier bakery in Kigali specializing in bagels!), our team learned about the work Anne Marie is involved with. She has spent the last 20 years working in Rwanda, Burundi, and Congo teaching groups of women business skills.

Currently, Anne Marie is a Project Manager and Master Trainer at Akazi Kanoze, an initiative sponsored by Education Development Center. The project delivers comprehensive entrepreneurship trainings that include basic business skills, personal development, life skills (hygiene), and work-readiness curriculum. Anne Marie told us that most recently, the project curriculum had been fully adapted and worked into the national school curriculum for Entrepreneurship courses at the secondary level in Rwanda. This is expected to be transformative for students that will begin to receive this new curriculum – it will help them fit better into the current economic and development picture of Rwanda.

In addition to Akazi Kanoze, Anne Marie worked for 13 years with Duterimbere, an organization established in 1987 to lead women in socio-economic equality. The history is fascinating – it can be read here. The Duterimbere project was sponsored initially by the Women’s World Bank!

The Women’s Bakery was excited to meet with Anne Marie and is looking forward to her ongoing mentorship. She is not only incredibly passionate, but also well versed in designing and delivering business curriculum to women. It is the dedication and commitment of individuals like Anne Marie that empower education throughout Rwanda (aligning strongly with our mission at the Women’s Bakery!) and throughout the world. Murakoze kazi kawe!