Only those who have the courage to try something will ever know if it works. Following this motto, backaldrin made a decision to support a bakery project in Africa six years ago. Today one can really describe it as a lighthouse project. The creation of the Angel Bakery, and thereby the creation of jobs, has opened up new prospects for many people in Korogocho.

In the heart of Korogocho, the third-largest slum in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, sits the Angel Bakery. backaldrin supported the project since 2012 and provided much of the equipment, as well as knowhow and technical support. Finally, in December 2014, the first bread was taken out of the oven. „The creation of the Angel Bakery, and thereby the creation of jobs, has opened up new prospects for many people in Korogocho. With our knowhow in the bakery trade, we wanted to contribute to the success of the project,” says Peter Augendopler.

Baking for a better life

The Angel Bakery has been run by Kenyan baker Samuel Otieno since March 2017. He will visit backaldrin headquarters in Asten in the spring of 2018 to meet with the backaldrin master bakers. Today there are already 35 people who have secure jobs at the Angel Bakery, 17 of whom successfully completed their baker training in 2017. This training has two sides – it consists of working in the business and going to school – and it lasts one year. “Working in the Angel Bakery is an alternative. ‘Normal’ life in Korogocho consists of working at the Dandora Landfi ll. To the people, other possibilities mean a better quality of life,” says Otto Hirsch from Hope for Future, who visits the site with his team three times a year.  The project also includes a social and health care centre and two schools with almost 1,000 students. Altogether, the project employs 85 people and covers the most essential areas that contribute to improvements in living conditions: education and nutrition.

Fully Committed to the people

The standard range at the Angel Bakery now consists of five products, which are produced daily: sandwich bread of 800 grams each, doughnuts – which, in contrast to Europe, are wholly deep-fried – Angel’s Bread, white bread cubes and a mixed bread. These are sold in the shop at the bakery, as well as by vendors and mobile moped sellers. In addition, a total of 24 schools and about 2,800 children are supplied with sandwich bread daily. “Today one can really describe it as a lighthouse-project. What counts is to really commit to the cause and to put the local people at the centre,” Hirsch explains the success. In five years, at the latest, the project should be run entirely by local residents. But there is still a long way to go, which backaldrin will continue to support.