Imagine

The first thing I saw was turquoise – bright, vivid, imaginative. I walked a little further, stuck between wanting to gallivant forward and taking my time as I approached the bakery – our bakery.

Fully inside, I could see everything that I had been seeing via photographs for the last year; I saw the decorative plants, the plush bean bags, and swings – yes, swings – that fused together to create a space of relaxation and peace.

Most importantly, I saw one of our bakers, Liziki, exit from the back part of the bakery, leaping to give us greetings and hugs.

We had arrived at KG 176 #13 – The Women’s Bakery Flagship Bakery in Kigali.

I remember when this was an idea tossed around a few years ago; what if we had a training center and a bakery in one place? What if we could have one location that would be a model for future locations?

Now, the idea is a reality and I am sitting in a bakery café – a Women’s Bakery café – that is operated by over 10 women that have been with us for several years. Again, as it always is with this work, I am in awe of what all of us, especially women, are capable of.

I am proud to be a team member of an organization that pushes forth the kind of work that blends both business and social impact for women.

I am inspired to see the growth of an idea into a reality – one that not only enables women to have gainful, sustainable employment, but also brings unique products to market (I mean, who doesn’t love avocado frosting?)

And mostly, I am humbled by what is possible.

In the last 3 years with The Women’s Bakery I have learned the power of asking questions and of imagining something beyond what I can conceive.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine that this would be what our flagship was like. We have our offices next to our industrial ovens. We have the production space lined with clean, high-quality tiles. We are running a business and we are kicking ass.

That is really what bread power is all about and I am beyond grateful to witness it and experience it in person.

To all of my team members at TWB: keep rising, keep going. This is truly only the beginning.

Knowledge Sharing at TWB

Last week, our Gicumbi Training Group came to TWB’s Kigali Flagship for a tour, so they could learn from TWB’s first graduates in Kigali.

The idea behind the visit was to see how work flows within a TWB Bakery and the baking techniques that are used. Also, our team knew it would be powerful for trainees to listen and hear stories and testimonies from current employees.

Two things that amazed me while I was leading this visit in Kigali.  

First, I was impressed to see how our Kigali women were confidently teaching the newer trainees. The second experience that was particularly inspiring was to hear testimonies that were shared.

To see trainees teaching other trainees – this is the true sign of empowerment. If women who were trained three years ago are now teaching the new trainees, that is a huge success and transformative milestone.

Kigali women were able to show to the new (Gicumbi) trainees how to make different bread products in different shapes. The Gicumbi women were also excited and inspired by the words of encouragement from women who have been with TWB for three years.

At TWB, we believe that transformation can truly happen once women can transfer the skills and knowledge they gained to their children or their neighbor.

That is now happening.  

One women from Gicumbi, Uwimana, said, “It was my first time to see the capital city of Kigali and it was amazing to see the women baking good breads and good shapes. If they started just like us and they are now making these nice products, then so shall we.”

That is #breadpower.

A Proud Walk

As the women from TWB's Remera Bakery walked up the hill from our old location, I could not help but to notice the sense of pride among them. Walking together, I heard small whispering voices “we did it, way to go.”

We all experience change in our lives and every time something positive happens in our lives we feel optimistic and hopeful. Small changes could be a pair of new shoes, a nice meal, a new make up set, or even a new batch of bread! However, when it comes to a start-up business, ALL positive change makes a difference - no matter how small it seems.

The Women's Bakery has been experiencing a number of positive changes, and this feels the biggest right now. Shifting the former bakery space to our new, beautiful flagship location has been a much anticipated solution, not only to the management of TWB, but also to the women that work at the TWB Bakery in Remera.

TWB has secured a new bakery space to expand production and capacity for our new flagship, The Women's Bakery Kigali. This is a big step for growth and one of great excitement as we consider the new possibilities for operational growth as the way to bakery profitability.

The walk from the former bakery space (up the hill) to the new flagship space took about 30 minutes. The metaphor of walking up was not lost on us, as it signaled where we have come from - and where we are going. 

The women arrived to the gate of the new flagship, curious to see what was inside, and where they would continue to bake, sell, and provide nutritious, affordable breads for the community. Once the gate was opened, they had the opportunity to look around, to check out the new space, and to envision the new future of The Women's Bakery. 

“ Then… now we are just getting started,” one of the women said as she reflected on how far TWB has come. Indeed, we are just getting started. 

This is #breadpower. 

Twists That Make Change

“Pretals, pretals!”

That’s what the women in Remera call them: the pretzels.

This strange and new product that has opened so many doors and pushed us further down the road towards profitability was foreign to the women at our Kigali bakery just a few months ago. Now, they are experts at crafting and baking this special offering.

At The Women’s Bakery, we know that our bread is more than just a food product. It is a livelihood. It represents empowerment, it can bring change. Every muffin, honey tresse, and loaf of sweet potato bread adds to a movement of strong women baking bread. These strong women baking at Remera now have a new product: pretzels. As our highest profit margin product, these pretzels are popping up in cafes and businesses all over Kigali. They have become a vehicle through which the city is learning more about #breadpower. Even private clients are clamoring to get our pretzels at their house party, office meeting, or public event.

And, the women of Remera bakery are seeing the impact their bread can have in a whole new way.

I have had the privilege of being part of testing the recipe, training the women and now bringing this unique product to market. It has been incredible to watch. We have orders daily for this special piece of bread that is continuing TWB’s goal of creating sustainable jobs and enabling profitable bakeries. These twisty bits of salt, herb or cinnamon sugar goodness are not only delicious, they are powerful and they are just one part of the exciting operations that are paving our path for continued success.

A Real Sign of Success

I returned to Rwanda a week ago. I’m here for several reasons: first, to support our amazing and ever-kick-ass COO, Julie Greene, in all of her work; second, to on-board two new TWB team members (stay tuned!); and third, to welcome two representatives from our corporate sponsor, Rademaker, BV, to Rwanda. I’m only in Rwanda for one month, so it will be a whirlwind of a trip.

I usually feel a combination of anxiety and excitement coming to Rwanda.

The anxiety stems from questions like: 

“Will I be able to accomplish my pre-identified tasks?”

“How much “help” can I provide, or am I really more in an oversight role?”

“How much can I actually do in a month?”

The excitement, however, thankfully and graciously, centers me to think: “Wow! Just look at how much progress we have made.” “Are you kidding me?! These women are now doing what?!” And, “Seriously, TWB team, you created this? It’s AMAZING.”

I had one of those “WOW” moments this week. I went to our bakery in Kigali to test the proper functioning of one of our ovens. I arrived and told the women, “Right, I’m going to bake some bread and test this oven. Would you like to help me?” They agreed. I began to prepare. I washed my hands and got my materials ready. Then, I realized, “Wait, where is the recipe?” I asked the women and they laughed. “We have the recipes in our heads,” they said. Impressed, but not discouraged, I said, “Wonderful! I don’t, so please pass me the recipe book.”

I started baking and one woman, Rose, laughed at me again. She said under her breath in Kinyarwanda, “You don’t know how to bake.” I stopped, stunned. Whaaaaaaat? I thought. I don’t know how to bake?! I taught you! But then the most beautiful thing happened: Rose gently pushed me out of the way and took over, still half laughing, half commenting under her breath that I didn’t know how to bake.

I stood back and realized that this was the best thing that could happen – the women were now better at baking than I was. The women were teaching me how to make bread!

If this isn’t a sign of success, I don’t know what is. And it is a testament to both the women and our incredible TWB team.

BOOM. 

Global Health Corps Fellowship with TWB

First, I squealed, then I teared up: this was finally happening.

Several months ago, I received word that after a six-month application process I had been accepted into the 2017-2018 Global Health Corps Fellowship cohort and was placed at The Women’s Bakery, in Rwanda. I was thrilled, excited, and ready. After months of consideration, it was humbling and energizing to know that I was going to move forward with work that motivates and inspires me.

In September 2016, I moved to Rwanda with the intention of working in health development. Just before leaving the United States, a good friend of mine mentioned a great organization working to empower women through baking: The Women’s Bakery. This friend of mine knew TWB Founder & Co-Director, Markey, from Furman University. As she told me more, I thought I should check it out.

After arriving in Kigali, I quickly engaged with TWB Staff, Meg and Julie, and was intrigued and motivated by the work that TWB was doing with vocational training and business launch. Simultaneously, I heard about the fellowship with Global Health Corps, a program that offers fellowships to those interested in working in the field of global health. I began an application. After months of interviews and documentation, the opportunity I had been waiting for was here! I was working for TWB. It was real, and it was happening.

Now, as Nutrition Coordinator for The Women’s Bakery, I am working on nutrition and health programming at bakeries in Kigali and beyond. I am so enthusiastic to see the impact The Women’s Bakery is having in the communities of which we work.

From women’s health, to mental health, to home health, we have so many programs and ideas to improve the lives of the women we serve. I’ve been given the opportunity to see at a ground level what training and engagement with a group of women can accomplish.

On a daily basis, lives are being impacted one muffin or roll at a time, and I can’t wait to continue to be a part of the change being made through The Women’s Bakery.

Kagina & AsOne Ministries

Tucked into Rwanda’s rolling hills, Kagina is a small town that feels worlds away from the bustling city of Kigali. However, the city is only a forty-five minute drive away. Kagina is also home to The Women’s Bakery newest project, a partnership with AsOne, a ministry that now supports a bakery training in the small town center. The church organization has partnered with TWB to train five women to run and work in the local bakery, baking and selling bread for their local area.

It’s a diverse group of women; they range in age, and some can read, write and speak English, while others are illiterate. They have worked with the church in the past and are excited and committed to this new opportunity. Training is a family affair; two of the women bring their children, one a newborn and the other an active toddler, and another is expecting.

As an intern with TWB, experiencing the AsOne Bakery training was one of the most valuable experiences I had while in Rwanda. I was able to see the very beginnings of the project and training, and when I returned a week later, it was so exciting to see the progress! While seeing the newly installed sink was exciting, I was so impressed to see how engaged and more confident the women were with the lessons, taking turns drawing on the whiteboard what they believe is the most nutritious meal. They discussed food pyramids, portion sizes and balanced meals.

These five ladies will spend the next month with Aime and Denyse, our intrepid trainers, learning about nutrition, baking, and business before officially opening their doors. In a few weeks, they will begin to sell bread locally and deliver to customers and small businesses in nearby towns.

They join three other active TWB projects in Remera, Ndera and Bumba.

Although my internship with TWB is ending, I’m excited to come back and visit the AsOne Bakery in the future for some bread and tea.

#bakebreadtogether #breadpower

#bakebreadtogether #breadpower

Everyone Is A Teacher

It is always interesting to me, I think, how places are full of senses that are undeniably familiar and unchanging. Rwanda, for example, consistently smells and feels the same to me; the scent of burning wood and the heaviness of the air under the sun conjure memories, experiences, and the strange familiarity I have with Rwanda.

Last month, I exited a plane that ventured all the way from Amsterdam to Kigali, along with TWB’s Co-Founder & COO, Julie Greene. I’ve known Julie a long time – back to our Peace Corps Rwanda days – and so it was nice to return to this country by her side. We managed to get our bags (most of them) and head back to our East Africa team’s home in Kigali. I recognized these smells, feelings, and the day-to-day life of Rwanda right away; it’s good to be back, I thought (albeit very tiredly).

I couldn’t wait to get in our bakeries and see the work that has evolved within our business in Rwanda.

I last spent time in Rwanda with The Women’s Bakery in the fall of 2015.

Back then, we were just launching our first formal Rwanda-based training with a group of 15 women. Since our initial start-up days, TWB has launched a small bakery in the city with this group, along with the numerous other projects we have started around the country – just to the East, in Ndera, and also out in the Western part of the country, in a community called Bumba. TWB has grown and scaled, and it’s been an indescribable opportunity to be a part of.

Most of this growth, however, has happened while I have been working on TWB stateside. While I have been sharing about our work, managing communications and awareness efforts, and working to launch our pilot programming in Denver, TWB has become a well-known organization in Rwanda. And, our Remera, Kigali bakery has also become recognized in the neighborhood community, known for our “good bread” and “friendly service,” per some of our regular customer base, of whom I have had the fortunate chance to talk with. Being back in Rwanda, and with our team, has built a quick and mighty respect for what we, and for what the women in our program, have built.

I’m in awe of the tenacity and commitment that this kind of work requires. Small business development is hard anywhere, but the women we work with are making it happen.

Most profoundly, on a recent morning of baking, I felt an immense wave of gratitude as Liziki, a long-time baker with us, taught me how to properly master our Tresse, Croissant, and Sandwich shapes for our yeast bread product line. Sure, I know how to bake carrot or beet bread like the back of my hand, but these are new innovations in our product line that I previously did not know how to bake. Like a student willing to learn anything, I asked questions and shaped the dough repetitively so I could, with time, acquire this technical skill. I love learning from our bakers in Kigali; it reminds me that we are all teachers, just as we are all learners.

The women in our Kigali Bakery (Remera) have an incredible work-flow and understanding of the ins-and-outs of making a bakery work. Always, there are improvements to make, but what I appreciate most, thus far on this visit, is realizing that when you trust knowledge to have the power it can hold, often, it works.

Education is powerful. Empowerment is when this kind of education has an application, purpose, and leverage for opportunity.

I will be with our Rwanda team for the next month and I’m genuinely, authentically jazzed to learn more. Really, that’s what it is all about. Bread power.

So, Tell Me More

Last week, two TWB staff and Global Health Corps (GHC) alums, Aime and Meg, attended an East Africa GHC leadership summit in Nyamata, Rwanda to reconnect and share experiences with other co-fellows and staff from different parts of the world.

It was an opportunity for alums to share their achievements since they completed the GHC program. In doing so, everyone had to introduce themselves, where they were placed, their role during their fellowship year and what they are doing after the fellowship. 

When I (Aime) said that I work at The Women’s Bakery, another GHC alum approached me and said, “You work with The Women’s Bakery, so tell me more.”

This is a great inquiry that I always like to answer. It is an opportunity to showcase the uniqueness of The Women’s Bakery and what drives us in what we do.  We are promoting nutrition education, health and business education and above all we are availing locally sourced, nutritious and affordable breads.

This fellow continued, “So tell me more, how do you measure the impact?” 

An even greater question!

From the baseline surveys taken before training begins we learned that our trainee women/men couldn’t afford the health insurance coverage for the whole family or could only afford to cover the family members most vulnerable to sicknesses, like kids or pregnant mothers.

But, from our follow-up surveys taken 6 months after the conclusion of training, we can see that the training graduates who chose to work in bakeries are able to cover their health insurance, send kids to school and cover the basic needs.

That’s the impact.

“There is more to tell, come learn the Power of Bread!”

Sharing Knowledge

With two groups in Rwanda having graduated from our training program in 2016, and another group coming up on graduation in early February 2017, we are steadily expanding The Women’s Bakery network and community across Rwanda.

While some of our goals at TWB are focused on training more women, employing more women, and launching more sustainable bakeries, our growth in Rwanda also accomplishes other significant goals. One these is engaging graduates and current bakery employees in sharing their knowledge with current trainees, as well as with TWB bakers and bakeries across the country.

We don’t want to just build bakeries in Rwanda, we want to build an ecosystem of community and support across our bakeries, allowing TWB bakers to share ideas with each other, collaborate, trouble shoot challenges, and encourage each other with successes. TWB graduates are able to share their knowledge and experiences with each other, and with current trainees.

Since concluding our training program in Bumba in the Western Province of Rwanda, we have facilitated knowledge sharing with the bakery located in Kigali, the capital city. The two groups have been able to share recipe tricks, adjustments, record keeping tips, and even marketing strategies. Managers from each bakery have traveled 3.5 hours one way to visit each other, share insight and challenges, and gather ideas from each other’s bakeries. 

Currently, the training group located east of Kigali is conducting their baking practical. For the last two weeks, one of our skilled bakers from the Kigali bakery has traveled daily to the training site to lead the baking sessions and to impart her expertise. Over the next two weeks, another employee from the Kigali bakery will lead training sessions on sales and marketing, providing the trainee group with her firsthand knowledge and advice on jump-starting sales and finding customers during the crucial first months of business operations.

As TWB expands in Rwanda and throughout the region, we aim to create more opportunities for shared learning amongst our bakery and trainee groups. By empowering women to circulate their knowledge and skills with one another, we hope to not only strengthen the TWB community but to also create new avenues for women to utilize their skills and expand their own networks. 

Third Time's A Charm

On Tuesday our Training Facilitators, Aime and Denyse, rolled (no pun intended) into training at the Togetherness Co-op in Ndera, Gasabo District (about 45 minutes outside Kigali). Thanks to the sponsorship of our hiring partner African Road, 12 women and 4 men will be trained over the next few months. This marks our third official training in Rwanda!

Over the last year our team has developed a thorough, practical, and fun curriculum for groups. Through our training, Aime and Denyse are inspiring students to be active participants in creating economic opportunity for themselves and their families.

TWB’s complete training package is 153 hours and includes personal development, women’s empowerment, marketing, sales, nutrition, hygiene, accounting, inventory, baking practical lessons and much more! We work with each hiring partner to choose the appropriate lessons and timeline for their group.

In Remera (1st training) we delivered the full 153 hours. In Bumba (2nd training) we delivered 78 hours. And, in Ndera (3rd training) we will deliver 123 hours. Some of the factors that help determine the training schedule include past business training, overall baking experience, levels of education, and available time.

Creating a training schedule can sometimes be a challenge as many participants are primary caretakers in their home and have many responsibilities. Depending on the group, we plan to conduct training 2-4 days per week between 4-8 hours a day. The more condensed the training program, the more cost effective it is. In the case of Ndera, will be training 4 days per week, 7 hours a day. Participants are scheduled to graduate from our program and enter into business launch by the end of January.

We look forward to the next few months!

Teach a Woman, Feed a Nation

A common question I am asked about the work I do with The Women’s Bakery is, “Why do you work with women only and not men?”

My answer always starts with my favorite quote,

“You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.” —Brigham Young

This well-known saying was used to convince parents who were more willing to allow their male children to attend schools than their daughters. The message here is that since we know the value of education for men in society, we should allow women to have equal access to it.

George Washington (1732-1799), the first President of the United States, said this about his mother:

"All I am I owe to my mother...I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her."

When interviewed, Faith Uwantege, a TWB trainee and baker, said, “When I learn a new skill in bread making, I go back home, bake for my children and teach them how to bake.” She is empowered, her children are getting nutritious breads, and she will also transfer skills to them.

 “A child well-nourished performs well in class and will become a great person in society, therefore I want to feed nutritious breads to my children and teach them how to make them,” Faith added.

Our recently opened bakeries in Remera and Kanombe are not only generating income through selling breads, but are also feeding families nutritious food and  sharing new skills with children. 

Christmas in Kigali

When I was young I attended church with other children in my community. I remember a small hut with a manger inside in the front of the church and other ornate decorations around us. There were programs for children to sing and the opportunity to hear a pastor preach the days’ message.

Now, as an adult, I have the chance to spend Christmas Day with my mom and siblings. It is amazing for all of us to gather and share meals. Our meals are typical Rwandan food: rice, beans, and potatoes. Since it is a special day, we had to find meat. The drink for these special celebrations in my family is sorghum beer, which is my favorite. 

As I was enjoying this day with my relatives, I also reflected on the group of women TWB is currently training in Kigali. I called some of them, wishing them a “Merry Christmas”, and some of them, like Liziki and Faith also called to wish me a special day. I became excited to continue our training with them, to find out what they did for the holidays and to learn more about their own family traditions.

On the first day of our Phase II training – continuing from Phase I, ending before the holidays, I asked how they spent this day and the answer was fairly similar to mine. They attended church in the morning, came back and prepared meals together as family. Faith who is from Kanombe (the eastern part of Kigali) told me that she went to church and then cooked “umunyigi” which is smashed plantain, her favorite dish. Vestine spent her day near her hometown in the North, near the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo. When I asked her favorite memory during the festivities, she said, “I was so amazed to see many people leaving Kigali to go spend the days in the rural areas with their relatives.”

Though many work in Kigali, if people are able to earn money money and other opportunities, there is a chance to visit home sweet home. Two days before Christmas, it was so difficult to get buses from Nyabugogo bus station to neighboring provinces as many people wanted to share the festivities with their relatives.

The holidays were an interesting, busy, and special time for myself and the women of The Women’s Bakery. We were able to find some sense of rest and now, are excited to keep moving further into training and bakery business launch.

Happy New Year from The Women’s Bakery!

Abahuje

Back in Denver, where I grew up, fall is a time of breezy temperatures, changing leaf colors, and pumpkins. Since joining the team at The Women’s Bakery, I’m delighted to say that my fall has instead been full of a bit more rain and a lot more bread. Pumpkin bread, of course.

Also with the onset of fall, our East Africa team has officially launched training with 15 women from Kigali! The start of our two-phased program is taking place at a church compound (inclusive of a training center and school) not far from Rwanda’s national stadium known as Amahoro. These women come from different parts of Kigali (many originally from outside the city) with the hope of gaining access to education, skills, and opportunity.

Uniquely so, our first Kigali-based training unites two groups of women together. 10 women are a women’s group associated with the host church, while the others were connected to us through a long-time friend of The Women’s Bakery and have been supported by a group of parents and students from The Westover School. With high spirits, the women have taken to each other quickly and openly! The first day, they sat together as one group as they learned about the curriculum and program that The Women’s Bakery brings.

A spirit of curiosity and engagement was obvious; women asked questions about how to stay on top of the concepts studied and how to apply them to their lives. On day two, our facilitators entered into our first batch of lessons: Values, Thinking & Learning Styles, and Nutrition.  

A heavy day of worksheets, explanation, and self-reflection, the women remained undeterred and enthused.

At the close of the week, two incredible evidences of purpose revealed themselves.

For one, when discussing a potential group name and the values they would adopt as a team, they chose the name Abahuje; meaning unity. This was of course followed by a 10-minute dance session to sing their name, Abahuje, loud and proud!

And two, as the night was winding down from day one, I received a text message from a friend of a training participant. It read, in reference to the woman’s involvement in the training –

She is so excited to be involved. She says it is so nice to be a part of something meaningful. She has never been to school before.

It’s certainly a new season for The Women’s Bakery and it’s encouragement like this that drives, propels, and motivates us further to work alongside these women for change.