The Good Story: Make Peace Bakery
The Make Peace Bakery is a social enterprise that empowers the youth through teaching baking and entrepreneurial skills. It is the first social bakery in the Philippines and is based in the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm in Angat, Bulacan.
What is the story behind The Make Peace Bakery?
Founders Angie and Yok had been running a catering company with a charity activity baking “The Make Peace Cookies.” The husband and wife tandem baked cookies and sold it to friends, family and clients then gave the profits to their favorite orphanages in Manila and other youth organization in Payatas, Quezon City.
In 2016, Angie and Yok joined the Gawad Kalinga Social Business Summit where they learned that giving back is also accompanied by responsibility. With that, they thought of sharing their knowledge in teaching the out-of-school-youth from families at the bottom of the pyramid.
Which community are you helping and in what ways?
The Make Peace Bakery in the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm has been operating for over a year, where the youth are taught baking techniques and entrepreneurial skills to enable them to create their own products and obtain certification that could later on allow them to be future partners in other bakeries to be opened in more Gawad Kalinga sites.
Over 50 kinds of breads, cakes and pastries are now being enjoyed at the bakery, with over 10 youths that have undergone “The Make Peace Bakery’s Immersion Program” and seven being trained in operating the bakery today.
How do you plan to grow the business and influence more lives?
The Make Peace Bakery is on the path of creating a sustainable bakery wherein most, if not all, of its ingredients will be sourced from the farm and neighboring farmers in Bulacan and in other agricultural areas nationwide. This business model will be replicated in different Gawad Kalinga community sites, creating more social impact especially eradicating poverty.