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.

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. 

"If You Look, You Will Go Far"

“If you look far you will go far”

As a woman who has experienced empowerment myself, working with women who need to be empowered is my dream. The opportunity to work with The Women’s Bakery in Rwanda has been truly incredible, and I am able to take part in my dream job..

In the course of working as the Bakery Operations Manager at the TWB bakery in Remera, Kigali, I have been questioning how I could contribute more to grow the ability of TWB women.

One day, when we were in a meeting, I came up with an idea. I asked the women what they thought of taking 200 FRW ($0.26) per woman out of their daily salaries for savings.

They said, “That’s a good idea, why not let’s do it!”

They have already started to save money, which will help them to pay for Mutuelle, the national health insurance, for next year (TWB has already ensured the women all have health insurance for themselves and their families for the current year) and which can also help them to grow their business in the coming year.

This process to create a savings plan is one of my most valued experiences from the past eight months with TWB. On the part of the women, they have improved life for their families, they feel independent, and their new skill sets are evidence of good future prospects.

Many women have a dream of seeing their bakery grow and to eventually be well-known everywhere. I am excited to be part of TWB Rwanda and I will keep learning a lot about our great work, and learn more in my position as Bakery Operations Manager to further grow the Remera Bakery.

Our women are so committed - let's give them our hands, and together we will rise.