Home-made with a purpose

One of life’s little joys must be coming home to a house that is just engulfed with the scent of freshly baked cookies.

That freshly baked scent is exactly what you’d get when you enter Carolina Rowan’s home. She has had a passion for baking since she was about 13 years old when she attempted her first bake. Though the cake flopped, her love for cooking never did.

Though an avid baker, she is not a professional cook but her newly acquired clients wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between her baked goods and a professional’s. What makes Carolina’s small enterprise, called Little G’s, so inspiring, is that she started this venture seven and a half weeks ago. It was at this time that her three-and-half-year-old son endured a freak accident at his nursery school.

On this fateful day, her son, Grayson, tripped while running and to break his fall, put his arm out but ended up putting it through a glass door, cutting his wrist quite severely. The glass cut through his main nerve as well as some tendons. To cover medical costs, Carolina started this new small enterprise that has since made a huge difference to her.

To get the word out about this delectable pursuit, she created a Facebook post which she shared on community pages in which she described what she was baking and why this was so important to her. Within two days she had about 50 orders and was overcome with gratitude for all the support she gained.

She has had not only local clients support her but some from Pretoria and as far as Cape Town. “Some people have said they do not need any baked goods but have sent a small donation instead as a way to help me along the way.”

Her biggest order so far is a company that ordered 30 dozen bran muffins. “I don’t think I have baked so hard,” she jokingly said, adding she thinks she may have even worn out her oven.

For her, this enterprise is a rewarding one, people have come back to her and said they enjoyed every bite and knowing that their support goes towards a good cause adds to their experience.

Clients have also come with ideas to help her broaden her menu which she has happily taken on board. She puts order requests through WhatsApp community groups and Facebook pages. Some of her clients even now have standing orders, which she finds amazing. “This whole process does not feel like work to me, it feels like a calm, zen space and I usually have music playing.”

Carolina reflected back on one occasion when she had so many orders and, because she was grateful for this, she baked through the night and the whole of the next day to make sure she met all the deadlines.

Her son’s recovery has been quite good as he sees an occupational therapist weekly. Though he currently has no sensory feedback in his right hand there is still a chance it may come back. After 10 weeks his arm will be reassessed to see a way forward.

Little G’s has now become something Carolina sees will span years.

The Northcliff Melville Times would like to support micro-entrepreneurs like Caroline by offering them free listings on our latest community project, Home-made/Hand-made. To qualify to feature, your business should be run from home, and should involve home-made or home-baked products. If you would like to feature, simply email your details to karenha@caxton.co.za

Let’s support our local entrepreneurs, and help them to grow their businesses one small step at a time. If you would like to find a local business that needs your support, visit https://www.citizen.co.za/northcliff-melville-times/home-made-or-home-baked/