I joined The Women’s Bakery (TWB) in August 2021 as the Director of Operations. With 18 years of experience in the baking industry, I was ready for a position where I could have a meaningful impact on the lives of women. The TWB mission inspired me to move from Kenya to Rwanda with my young daughter in order to lead bakery operations. To help empower and create access to opportunities for women has been one of the most fulfilling experiences in my lifetime.
My personal life is a testimony to what happens when you invest in women. I come from a very humble background, similar to that of our bakers. I was born and raised in a slum in Nairobi called Kawangware. Opportunity and access to education has changed the course of both my life and the life of my child. This is the same impact that I see at The Women’s Bakery. The impact is not just for an individual, it is generational.
As you know, supply chain issues and inflation have hit East Africa hard. Despite these challenges, TWB successfully invested in new equipment this year that will increase our production capacity by 10x. Combined with our new business management software, we are ramping up production and sales significantly.
That’s why I’m so excited about our next steps as a company. We are building a new bakery in partnership with the University of Global Health Equity, a subsidiary of Partners in Health. This new bakery in Butaro will create opportunities to train and employ more women, to expand our impact, and to bring nutritious bread to children and families in a rural area of Rwanda.
Will you consider a gift to support our mission and build a new bakery?
I see creating access to opportunities as creating hope; giving women and their families a fighting chance for a better future. With your support, The Women’s Bakery will continue to empower women and transform lives for future generations.
With gratitude,
Pauline
