Orekelewa Bakery

Baking change, one loaf at a time!

Group of women in hairnets and aprons preparing food in a kitchen, with a logo of a woman with an African hairstyle and the text "Her Africa" overlayed on the image.

The Challenge

In Epe, Nigeria, many women face long-term economic hardship due to limited access to education, skills training, and paid work. These women are often the primary caregivers — supporting children, parents, and extended family — yet have few opportunities to earn a reliable income.

Construction site with a worker shoveling cement, partly built walls, and a building with a green metal roof and a tall metal communication tower in the background.

Our response

In Epe, we work directly with local women to enable change. Through the Orekelewa Bakery project, women received hands-on training, practical work experience, and the chance to earn an income close to home. What started as skills training became a pathway to dignity, confidence, and financial independence for women and their families.

The Orekelewa Bakery is a women-led social enterprise designed to provide practical skills, paid employment, and long-term financial independence.

Group of people wearing hairnets and aprons preparing a large amount of dough or mixture in a kitchen or food preparation area.

Progress So Far

  • Training programs established for local women

  • Women actively learning baking, food preparation, and workplace skills

  • Bakery renovations completed

  • Kitchen equipment purchased and installed

  • Strong local engagement and community support

This project has already begun changing lives — with trainees sharing how earning an income helps them and their families.

What’s Still Needed

To ensure the bakery is sustainable and fully operational, we are working toward:

  • Ongoing skills development and business training

  • Solar Panels to reduce utilities costs

  • Operational funding for maintenance and old equipment upgrades

  • Support for scaling production and sales

  • Long-term systems to ensure the bakery can run independently

Fundraising Progress
$8,580 raised Goal $11,500
52% funded
Two men working on the exterior of a house, one in a red T-shirt and black shorts standing on a generator and using tools, the other crouched down near the wall.

Why It Matters

When women have access to stable income, families are supported, children stay in school, and communities grow stronger. The Orekelewa Bakery is about more than bread — it’s about opportunity, dignity, and long-term community development in Nigeria.

A group of people, including women with elaborate hairstyles and children, gather around a glass display case with cakes inside, in a room with a television, a wooden counter, and various objects.

“What I earn doesn’t just support me; it helps my parents and my future children.” - Trainee

Bakery Project

Celebrating Opening Day

Staff Training

Building and Renovations