IT wafts gently over Empangeni central – the heavenly smell of freshly baked produce gently traveling on the breeze from the Empangeni Arts & Crafts Centre…but this is not your average bake sale, nor is it a fleamarket, bazaar or high tea party.
This is literally the smell of perseverance, dedication and hard work by a group of unemployed women who are empowering themselves by gaining entrepreneurial skills training through the Centre’s Community Upliftment Project.
They’re baking their way up in life.
‘I have learned all about ingredients, and how to read a recipe,’ says Sanelisiwe Zwande, who is adamant that she will one day own her own ‘huge’ bakery.
And you can hardly blame her for her enthusiasm.
The Centre facilitators not only train the attendees on basic baking skills, they also back up this practical knowledge with solid business skills training.
‘The skills training forms a vital part of the income-generation training, and this gives them better skills to grow an enterprise,’ says Julie Jonson, the Executive Director of Zikulise.
‘Zikulise, as a non-profit organisation, has been consistently meeting the challenges of poverty and joblessness for the past thirteen years – and in so doing is making a positive impact in the lives of members in the local community, promoting sustainable local economic development,’ said Julie.
Meanwhile, Sanelisiwe can hardly wait to put her knowledge into action.
‘Knowing these things will help me grow my business – and I’ll have a lot of satisfied customers in my community who will enjoy my delicious home baked products!’For more information on the various projects and skills training courses available through Zikulise, call 035 7925477.
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