Pastry chef Judy Romon is using her baking magic in an inspired way by offering free courses to unemployed women so they can become equipped with skills to be their own bosses:
Edgemead, Cape Town (07 November 2023) — After many years of operating her own bake-from-home business, qualified pastry chef Judy Romon decided to roll up her sleeves and put her skills toward the dreams of others.
Knowing first-hand how the art of baking can change the course of one’s life (Judy had a corporate working experience spanning 24 years and acquired her pastry chef qualification at forty-five years old) she was inspired to pass on the baking baton to empower other women.
In a South Africa where unemployment rates are at disheartening figures, Judy knew it was time to bake a change.
This inspiration was the beginning of her NPO, Sowing and Reaping, a baking school that offers courses free of charge to upskill unemployed women.
Under the Sowing and Reaping team’s talented guidance at Judy’s home studio in Edgemead, baking becomes more than a learning experience or a culmination of treat treasures. Here, each creation (from biscuits to cakes and confectionary delights) is filled with the most important ingredient—hope for the future.
Sowing and Reaping’s mission since it was established last year is to use professional baking know-how to address unemployment, one baked good at a time.
“With the high unemployment rate, this course meets the needs of individuals and their immediate families by enabling graduates to earn a living which will not only benefit themselves by being self-employed but also communities,” Judy tells Good Things Guy.
A skill with endless opportunities as anyone who religiously watches pastry and baking videos on social media knows, the biggest goal of all is to see women become self-sufficient on their terms.
“Our aim is to see many more women become entrepreneurs,” the sweet-hearted pastry chef adds, noting that since Sowing and Reaping’s inception last year, they have upskilled 38 women with a 75% success rate.
Currently, Sowing and Reaping is small, meaning there are many opportunities to help it rise whether you’re an avid baker who comes alive when faced with a new recipe, or just someone who cares about empowering others.
The baking NPO is looking for people who share their passion to volunteer, help out with fundraising, or social media and marketing. Other ways to get involved include donating ingredients or sparing change to create change for as little as R30 as a monthly donor.
Of course, like any good spread, sharing matters; so if you can’t help in any other way, simply spread the word!
You can keep with Sowing and Reaping here.
by 