Sister Theresia, Principal of Bake 4 Life College in Tororo, Uganda.
“I was appointed to Bake 4 Life college since 2013, I have started as a teacher and since January 2018, I took the full responsibility as principal, director and chief administrator.
This institution is a unique and special institution and one of its kind in Uganda. We focus on the baking skills, but we also offer courses related to baking too, such as accounting and marketing. For running a bakery you don't only need baking skills, but also other supporting skills.
People in Uganda used to take bread as a luxury. People eat sweet potato, cassava and porridge for breakfast. Now it's getting more popular and not only for the rich! You can eat bread for breakfast, but also bring it with you when you are visiting someone. Nowadays some people can afford cakes too, a sign of celebration, such as a wedding or graduation. People feel they need a piece of cake and they come to our college to get their cakes.
All our students, before coming here, want to learn about this “baking”, what is it exactly and how to do it. We have students from different parts of the country, but also from Kenya, since we are located close to the border. Since the start of the college, our numbers have been increasing every year. All our graduates have found jobs and some were able to create jobs for others. It motivates more people to come train with us, because they know they will be able to support themselves after and their family members. In 2012 we started with a pioneer group of 4 students, now we have up to 60 students enrolling to our courses.
80% of our graduates work at one of our own bakery branches from Bake 4 Life. Some have started their own business with the support of micro financing. We are proud to what we have been able to accomplish, after the establishment of the college.”