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Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
A MUTARE baker and founder of Yoyo’s Bakery Supplies, Ms Yolanda Mambeu, has rolled out a project that seeks to empower small-scale female bakers through sustainable solutions.
The project, which now attracts bakers from as far as Bulawayo, is dubbed ‘The Wedding Summit’ and seeks to teach small-scale female bakers on how to penetrate the market and operate their small businesses profitably.
The Wedding Summit held its third workshop at a local hall last week.
About 65 bakers from across the country graced the event.
In an interview with Post Business, Ms Mambeu said the initiative is connecting female bakers with other stakeholders.
“I realised that most of my fellow small-scale bakers are having challenges in penetrating the market as we have more bakers than bakeries in Zimbabwe.
“It seems like every individual has suddenly become a professional cake baker. These summits seek to capacitate business minded small-scale bakers to expand their businesses,” said Ms Mambeu.
She said bakers need to be educated on how to run their businesses, income generation, economic inclusion, baking and nutrition.
She said the project is empowering young women and girls.
“In a way, we are also addressing long-standing issues of child marriages, teenage pregnancies, inequity and lack of opportunities for the girl child.
“When girls spend most of their time generating income, the rates of child marriages and teenage pregnancies decline,” said Ms Mambeu.
In an interview, Ms Takudzwa Kubikwa said she is confident that her business will expand as she has acquired the necessary marketing skills.
“I wanted to run my own bakery and this training will surely assist me,” she said.
Another baker, Ms Sheilla Marufu, said the Wedding Summit empowered her.
“As an individual baker who is still trying to establish myself in the industry, I found this project empowering. I have been struggling to get my business up due to load shedding.
“I need to invest in solar or gas powered ovens and I can only do this with funding. The summit has been worth all the effort and I commend the organisers.
“I hope that the stakeholders we have been introduced to will be forthcoming in helping us to secure loans,” she said.
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