Generational Change: Benny’s Story

My name is Shema Honore, and I am twenty-one years old. I am the firstborn in a family of four children. My mother, Rose Kankwanzi, worked at The Women’s Bakery for ten years and recently retired through the TWB Retirement Program.

My mother joined TWB when I was only eleven and in primary school. Life was very difficult at that time. When she started working, things began to get easier, and we were able to have complete meals. I was studying and taking care of my younger siblings while she worked, but I felt happy knowing that my mother was working hard to provide a better life for us.

When I was seventeen, I passed my national exam with good marks. However, I knew my family could not afford the cost of continuing my education. My plan was to finish O-Level and join the military, because I believed it was the only path available to me.

My mother did not give up. She sought help from The Women’s Bakery, and through the support she received, she was able to pay my school fees and buy everything I needed to attend boarding school. For all the three years I spent in boarding school, I never lacked school fees not even once. Because of her stable income at TWB, my mother always paid on time.

When I graduated from high school, I never imagined that I could find employment right away. But my mother asked me if I would consider working at TWB. For me, it felt like a dream come true, an opportunity to continue the path my mother had walked and to build a stable future for myself.

Joining TWB has given me purpose. It has helped me discover my passion for baking, something I admired from a young age as I watched my mother prepare bread. Today, I am proud to be following in her footsteps, and my goal is to become a highly skilled professional baker.

I also dream of becoming the first person in my family to pursue tertiary education. I want to build a legacy of empowerment and, in return, support my mother and ensure my younger siblings also have the chance to continue their education.

Because of The Women’s Bakery, we have always had food on the table and a roof over our heads. We never went to sleep hungry. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities that TWB has given to my mother and now to me. This opportunity has truly changed our lives.