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Why a bakery?

 

Students for Wema will build a bakery at the Wema Children’s Centre in Bukembe, Kenya to act as a source of sustainable income for the children at the orphanage, as well as a skill development tool for graduating girls.  The bakery will also help those at the orphanage to become skilled at managing and sustaining an enterprise. By providing a safe workplace for the older females, we will empower them to move past socioeconomic and gender barriers by training them on how to run a micro enterprise, as well as prevent them from entering dangerous informal economic trade, such as prostitution.


The cycle of poverty, lack of education, lack of family support for orphans, HIV/AIDS and human trafficking that affects the orphans at Wema is being addressed in other places by organizations such as the International Justice Mission, Allies Against Slavery, and numerous others. Our social venture is unique not due to scale, but rather in the breadth and depth of impact it will have on the orphans at Wema Children’s Centre as it affects almost every facet of their lives. We hope this comprehensive approach to enacting change and helping communities break the cycle will serve as a prototype for other rural start-ups.

 

The bakery project will accomplish an integrated approach to change by strengthening the partnership between our organization’s leaders, the directors of the Centre, directors of the Wema Children's Inc., and other student groups at Harvard and the University of Southern California. By being in direct contact with the Centre’s directors, we will always have a current update of the Children Centre’s state, needs and progress in implementing the micro-business venture in the community. The bakery will provide income for the orphanage and secure greater resources, education and nutrition for the children being served. The added benefit of employment opportunities, individual income for the older children and a hands-on business experience will make the bakery an invaluable and integral part of Wema and the Bukembe community. There are many opportunities for partnerships and even more for collaborations as our venture unfolds. Please join us on our social business journey by becoming a member of our student organization or donating to the bakery fund.
 

 

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