Meet young woman whose passion for cakes becomes a successful recipe for women’s empowerment

Gibson Mhaka, Senior Features Reporter
WHILE some people choose art for expressing themselves, others have passion for food and technology to provide an outlet to their creative selves.

25-year-old Estery Nyakudya from Bulawayo merged both art and food to present her creative best in the form of themed and designer cakes and other contemporary gift cakes.

Her cakes are a blend of art and innovation.

Besides having a passion for cake making, Estery, also has a passion for sharing her talent and skills with other women so that they can improve their lives. What makes her story unique is that what started as a passion has now become a successful recipe for empowering fellow women.

It is also the support and empathy that she gives to other women who have historically had no or very little participation in the productive work and even less in formal decision-making.

In her quest to empower disadvantaged women, Estery, undoubtedly one of the youngest home bakers in the city, set up a cake making class in 2019, in which she teaches how to make cakes so that they can set up small businesses to support their families.

In her classes they learn about basic cake making tools, hygiene and techniques.

Estery runs a Facebook page by the name “Lady-Cup Zimbabwe” and the page has more than 1 500 followers, apparently a testimony that she had become a favourite name in the city for the people who want to celebrate special moments of their loved ones like weddings, birthdays and other events.

She shared her business journey with the Chronicle saying her love for baking gave her an edge to turn cake making into a full-time business in her life and at the same time creating job opportunities for disadvantaged women.

“After completing my Advanced Level studies, it was not an easy choice to decide between going to university and following my passion for making cakes. Although, I started baking while I was at high school, one lady who is now based in Harare boosted my passion for baking when she taught me how to make cakes. Through her mentorship I was convinced that I should turn my passion into a full-time profession.

“That is when I decided to set up a class so that I can also empower other women especially the disadvantaged ones so that they can support their families. Even those who are employed are welcome for training so that they can earn extra money outside work,” said Estery.

She believes that through her home baking and decoration, she is not only trying to become financially independent as a young woman but is doing something different that can pave way for other young people to pursue their dreams.

Estery said her brief journey to success wasn’t a stroll in the park.

“Running a business is never easy, you need to do the best to keep your customers’ trust and for that reason I do all my cakes from my heart. I always tell my students that if they want to make it big in the cake making business, they should provide quality and work overtime to meet deadlines.

“Remember there are bakers at every corner in the city, so there has to be something special that will make customers choose me. That’s also why I try my level best to make their moments special by an artistic way of making their orders,” she said.

She adds: “I’m also happy that my mother is supporting me. She is the one who gave me the money to start the business and is still helping me especially with marketing.”

Estery also uses her Facebook page and WhatsApp groups to keep her followers up-to-date with her work and latest offers.

“I make full use of social media platforms such as my Facebook page and WhatsApp groups to promote my business and connect with people. These platforms have helped me a lot in growing as an entrepreneur,” she said.

Estery however, challenged men to also venture into cake making to help debunk the myth that baking is a preserve for women.

“Whenever people talk about baking especially cake making, they think it’s always a feminine thing. That’s wrong and I encourage men to come for lessons so that they also venture into this growing the business which is helping a lot of women to be self-sufficient,” said Estery.

One of her students Alice Sibanda said that the courses she took part in and the work she is doing saved her life.

“I used to entirely depend on my husband for everything that I needed at home. I’ve never had anything that is my own, that I can spend on whatever I want. But after Estery introduced me to the cake making business, through her mentorship I now make about US$500 per month. I had never had so much money in my hands before. I was all alone, locked in a small world but now I live in a big world,” said Sibanda with a broad smile.

Directors of some of the leading cake making companies in Harare, La Xolele Events and Nyasha Cakes are also Estery’s products.