Bakery Co-Operative San Antonio - One Year Later

LACA - A Newsletter of the Latin America Community Assistance Foundation, Fall 1997

By Sister Donna Marie Schroeder, IHM

So much has happened this past year in the bakery of Minas de Oro! We are grateful to the FRIENDS OF LACA (Latin America Community Assistance) for their financial support.

· Five persons took an intensive course in cake baking and decorating. This instruction has boosted the confidence of the women working. They are able to make almost any kind of cake or decoration that anyone wants to order. Another wonderful side effect of the course is the ability to ask a just price for the product. They were always afraid to raise prices or ask a price that seemed high. Now, they know how to figure out the cost of the products baked and can assess the value of their work. To calculate the price of the cake or baked goods is no longer a difficult task.

· The administrator of the bakery attended a 3-day course in administration of small businesses given by a professional team skilled in business in the capital, Tegucigalpa. Ramona now has much more confidence and ability in assuming the necessary decisions that need to be made day-to-day. She also learned some basic tactics in relating with others working in the business as well as the customers who make the business possible. It was a most energizing conference!

· The display case for the cakes, donuts, breads, etc. is an added attraction for the looks of the bakery. It also keeps the baked goods fresh and free from dust!

· The satisfied customer is our greatest asset.

· Children can't wait to come each day during their school recess to purchase snacks.

On Sunday afternoons the tables are filled with families stopping in for refreshments of some kind. The warm and friendly atmosphere of the bakery invites passers-by to come in and sit a few minutes enjoying a delicious piece of cake or other "goodie". You can hear the people saying: "How nice to have a place like this to sit and chat for a few minutes." (It is the only place in town where you can buy a beverage and sit down to drink it!)

The women will work until late at night when necessary, preparing cakes for special days such as Mother's Day, Christmas, Easter, etc. These days bring in the greatest number of sales! It seems hard to imagine that it used to be necessary to bring cakes from Tegucigalpa - a bus ride of 3 hours or more over very difficult roads!

Another feature of the bakery is the use of the solar oven. Most products are baked in the Sun Oven and it is exciting to realize that this is the only bakery in Honduras using this type of oven. Visitors come from all over the country to see the Sun Oven in operation. The workers adapted quickly to the use of the oven and can use it effectively.

The 15 people working in the bakery are very grateful for the employment. Many are the sole support of their families, while others are putting their children through school. Since there is very little opportunity for any type of employment for women in town, this job gives them an opportunity to stay in Minas de Oro and gain their livelihoods. The migration of people from the country to the city is one of the great problems in Honduras and all of Central America. So, this project is filling a great need in the lives of many.