Notes from Abroad!

Eden Bakery, Kibbutz Beit Kama, Negev Israel--Executive Director Donna Gutman(Middle) recently returned from an impactful trip to Israel as part of the NCJW's mission, where she baked with the ladies of Eden Bakery.

Negev – Israel - Nov 8 – an extraordinary afternoon.

I had the privilege of visiting Eden, a boarding school for at risk teenage girls. These young women are judicially mandated to live here, separating them from at risk homes & circumstances that include domestic violence, neglect and sexual abuse. I heard one girl tell her story, her sadness, confusion and pain. When asked about her hopes for the future, she said she would like to be able to help others and give back. At Women of the World, one of our core values is to improve the quality of life for women through mentoring, educating and turning ideas into action.

Eden boards and educates 24 teenage girls (maximum capacity at this time) by court order after experiencing violence, abuse, and neglect. The girls originate from disadvantaged families & most have been victims of sexual abuse & trauma.

The bakery project was a very important part of their rehabilitation.

Eden Bakery

The "Sweet Future" project started its activity in the past few months. As part of the project, the girls engage in various aspects related to operating a bakery, starting from theoretic studies conducted by a pastry chef, choosing the product line, designing the packaging according to their personal taste, manufacturing the products and helping them to market and sell the products.

The project is currently operated as part of the "Peer Bakery", which is acting as a temporary host. The bakery is located in the southern industrial zone of Ashkelon, a few minutes drive from the Boarding School. The bakery voluntarily offers the Association its services.

About 10 girls take part in the project, working in the bakery for 8 hours a week during the afternoons, as well as school vacations. Work is supervised and closely accompanied by the project's professional team.

As a result of their work, the girls learn about the importance of various work ethics, including: punctuality, sticking to schedules and teamwork. Part of the money that the girls earn is given to them as an allowance and the rest is saved from them in a savings account. This way, the girls learn to wisely manage a budget and when they leave the Boarding School, a small yet significant amount of money will be allocated for them, to help them begin their lives as independent adults.

We see that working at the bakery has a tremendous contribution to these girls and gives them a sense of satisfaction and self fulfillment. Thanks to the project, girls that were on the verge of leaving the Boarding School have discovered a whole new world which gives their lives a new meaning and encourages them to persevere and move ahead with their lives.