Key points:
- Divine Grace Bakery is helping to alleviate poverty by teaching women to bake and sell their products.
- Project beneficiaries are saving money to buy ovens for each member so they can bake buns at home.
- The Chitungwiza group is one of four baking projects in the Zimbabwe Episcopal Area funded by a $20,000 grant from United Women in Faith.
Women in Chitungwiza Marondera are rising in their communities through a new baking initiative funded by United Women in Faith.
Divine Grace Bakery is one of four baking projects in the Zimbabwe Episcopal Area funded by a $20,000 grant from the women’s organization of The United Methodist Church.
An initial group of 52 women was trained in October of 2024; 30 members continue to meet twice a week to bake buns to sell in their communities. Divine Grace Bakery comprises women of all ages and backgrounds — youth, married women, single parents, seniors and widows.
United Women in Faith provided a coal stove, baking ingredients and training. After some time, the women realized the coal stove’s temperature was difficult to control and sometimes under-baked or burned their dough. It was replaced by a gas stove with a more consistent baking temperature.
The women were initially trained to bake bread, but they decided not to compete with established bakers and opted for the sweet rolls, which are more profitable and popular with schoolchildren and the neighboring community.
Each day they meet, they bake 18 trays of 50 buns, which they sell at $1 for eight buns. People line up to buy the buns as soon as they come out of the oven.
Priscilla Kuture, who is over 70 years old and lives alone, said she was lucky to be chosen to join the project.
“Sometimes people will be knocking at our doors wanting to buy the buns. This project has helped me a lot; we are so happy and working hard and it’s keeping us busy,” she said.
Participants come from eight United Methodist churches in Chitungwiza: Hunyani, Seke Central, Seke East, Chitungwiza, Seke North, Dema Chihota, Zengeza and Seke South.
Lydia Dumbwizi, 70, of Seke South United Methodist Church, said learning to bake has helped her to feed her grandchildren and generate income.
“When they shared the buns at school, their mates liked them and I am now selling near the school,” she said. “The teachers encourage buns over other snacks for nutrition.”
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Baker Ester Makuwaza said the project goes the extra mile to help the women succeed.
“We are saving money from the sales so that each member will have a gas stove, which they can use to bake at home.”
The Rev. Godknows Risinamhodzi, superintendent for the Chitungwiza Marondera District, said the project is fulfilling its aim to empower women.
“Divine Grace Bakery is the product of the women’s hard work, and their plan to purchase a stove for each member will ensure they are empowered as an organization and individually.
“This project has reached the market in the community and the women’s places of residence and it is quite promising. We see a future filled with hope,” Risinamhodzi said.
Charity Gombera of Zengeza United Methodist Church is married and has two children. She said the project has helped her develop marketing skills.
“I am now able to convince people to buy my buns,” she said. “Sometimes I sell four trays with 50 buns each.”
Violet Jim of Seke North United Methodist Church said baking has shown her she can earn a living and provide food for her family.
“When I don’t have money to buy bread, I can bake and feed my family,” she said.
The Rev. Fadzai Chikosi, connectional ministries director for the Chitungwiza Marondera District, expressed gratitude to United Women in Faith for introducing the baking project.
“The program is not only an art of baking, but it has also brought self-confidence and hope for a better future. We are grateful as a district because this program is helping alleviate poverty.
“It is my pleasure and great honor to be part of this journey as I witness these women being empowered and look forward to a bright future as they endeavor in this baking project,” Chikosi said.
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Rebecca Tendai Gurupira, who coordinates United Methodist ministry with women, children and youth in Zimbabwe, said that other baking projects are being conducted at Nyameni United Methodist Church in the Chitungwiza Marondera District and Gutu and Masvingo, which are located in the Masvingo District.
“By October, when we conduct our evaluation, the Chitungwiza women will be ready to distribute their stoves. We are still supplying them with ingredients, and they are saving all the money from their sales in order to buy a stove for each member,” she said.
Gurupira said beneficiaries of a previous project of Sasso chicks and feed are now self-reliant. Some bought goats from sales of their chickens and later sold goats to buy cattle. Others even rebuilt and furnished their homes.
“Before we accessed the United Women in Faith grants, these women were idle. The support has empowered unemployed women who now have their own source of income,” she said.
Chikwanah is a UM News correspondent based in Harare, Zimbabwe.
News media contact: Julie Dwyer at (615) 742-5470 or [email protected]. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digests.
