From Rwanda to Denver and Back: Ideas Across Continents
Like the individual bakeries and trained women, TWB as an organization benefits from collaboration, building and exchanging ideas across countries and models.
Over the last two and a half years, I have been based in East Africa, primarily leading TWB programs in Rwanda. During that time, we have grown from one training group to five graduated groups, culminating in the establishment of two Tanzanian and four Rwandan bakeries.
A goal, and outcome, we have always held is that bakery groups can learn from one another. We envision and strive for a collaborative network, where ideas and successes are shared, strategies for overcoming obstacles dispersed, and mutual growth is spurred between bakeries. We encourage trainees and graduates to visit other sites, and frequently, we bring bakery employees from operating bakeries to lead specialized sessions during the training of new groups. This collaboration across the bakery network can encourage, bolster confidence among the women, and inspire innovation.
On my most recent trip home, I spent time in our Denver office where, among (many) other things, we are developing a model for US programs. The initial ideas are drawn from our current model in Rwanda, adapting elements to meet the needs of a different consumer market and trainee population. As these plans come to life for our pilot model in the States, I find that not only can we draw from the existing model, successes, and challenges in Rwanda, but we can also apply new expansion ideas for the US to strategies in Rwanda.
As our team designs a new program for an entirely new space, I have been able to step back from the day to day of Rwanda operations and look at our current programs with a new lens. Innovating the Rwanda model for US expansion also gives us the opportunity to innovate the US model for East African expansion. Like the individual bakeries and trained women, TWB as an organization benefits from collaboration, building and exchanging ideas across countries and models.
The More You Know
We get by with help from our friends! Here's how TWB's commitment to education and empowerment is sparking interest with different individuals, groups, and organizations.
As a young girl in the 1990’s, I recall fondly the jingle of NBC’s “the more you know” campaign. The tagline for the major media production company invoked the possibility of exposure, knowledge, and connection that media enables the world to engage with.
Exposure in the context of The Women’s Bakery has proven no different; as we have shared our mission, vision, model, and bread with individuals, families, and groups from all walks of life, we are humbled by the commitment to actually learn about why we do what we do.
Moreover, friends of The Women’s Bakery are quick to want to get involved and in turn, share with others the importance of empowerment, education, and sustainable social enterprise.
We’ve had Rwandans in the United States testing our recipes for palette differences. Emmy, pictured below, moved to the United States last fall and during his adjustment period, has been baking bread! Below, he is pictured with our carrot bread recipe.
We’ve received the approval of a Canadian-based culinary team-building company, Tall Order, spear-headed by Julie Burke. Julie visited Rwanda in the fall of 2015, exploring culinary opportunities for the country.
From Arkansas to North Carolina to Texas, we have been working with impassioned followers of TWB who want to help us advocate, share, and build a business model grounded in localized, lasting change. The Volunteer Action Committee (VAC) with Hendrix College baked with us recently - to learn about our work in East Africa and to get a piece of our healthy, nutritious bread.
We are even working closely with enthused and committed high-school, college, and graduate-level students wanting to serve as “think-tanks” and consultants for the work we are doing in Rwanda, Tanzania, and beyond.
Working within varying levels of interest and community has been an amazing experience. I’ve realized our work is not rooted only in East Africa. It’s here too! Our work involves educating on the realities of our world, and the salient possibilities for positive, lasting, meaningful development. TWB identifies as a “rogue-nonprofit” because we believe it’s possible to bring about change using refined, proven business models. We’re doing it in East Africa, and what an exciting prospect that so many others can be involved – near or far. The “more you know” the more compelled you are to make a difference.