Baking bread for a brighter future
IFAKARA IS 250 MILES west of THE tanzanian CAPITAL, DAR ES SALAAM.
population: 100,000
BAKERY FUND FOR FREE BREAD
The Ifakara Bakery Fund makes free bread available to vulnerable local groups
Founded in 2001, the Ifakara Bakery is run independently by a group of Franciscan nuns. Your donation ensures that bread reaches needy children and adults in the area. Every penny of Free Bread Funds are used by local groups to buy bread from the Sisters’ bakery.
No funds donated are used to cover admistrative costs, 100% of donations go directly to Ifakara.
The relatively low production cost allows for a huge impact for the children and adults who receive the bread.
£1 buys 4 loaves
£50 buys 200 loaves
£100 buys 400 loaves
Consider a monthly donation, an automatic way to make a difference.
just £5 a month provides 20 loaves of bread!
£1Million donated over the last 20 years HAS PROVIDED
4 Million loaves for THESE LOCAL GROUPs
kindergarten bread
The free bread fund provides bread for four kindergartens in the Ifakara area as well as one in Idete, 20 miles west of Ifakara. Teachers say the bread provides nutrition that greatly helps with the children’s education.
The Bethlehem Centre for Children with Learning Disabilities
A home for children with learning disabilities built by Br. Edwin, a Capucian monk, over 30 years ago. Currently they house some 120 children of 6 to 14 years. Their school is run by teachers with special application for such children including a young speech therapist from England.
St. Francis Hospital, ifakara
It is not the responsibility of the hospital to feed its patients. They have to rely on their families to provide food. If the patient lives locally it probably will happen but all too often the patient's family may be 2 to 3 days walking or even cycling distance away and then the foodline will only be very intermittent.
The Nazareti Leprosy Centre
This is a hospital for people suffering from leprosy and also acts as a centre for outpatients coming for treatment against leprosy. It has an excellent reputation built on many achievements since the 1950s. The Matron, Sr. Maria-Paula, guided and enlarged the centre for over last 52 years.
how it all began…
In November 1998, Eugene and Margaret Schellenberg flew to Tanzania to spend some time with their family and enjoy a visit to a game park. During a walk they met Sister Josephata, a young sister of the St. Francis Convent in Ifakara. The Schellenbergs were invited to join them for lunch and soon discovered that even in the depth of Africa there is no such thing as a free lunch.
The Sisters had a vision. They wanted a bakery to ensure that they have food all the year round even when they suffered a poor harvest.
