Panera Bakeries: Livelihoods for Sri Lankan Women

The Panera Bakery project was conceived in the aftermath of the Southeast Asia Tsunami of 2004; the project would provide livelihoods for women widowed by the disaster, and would lead the way in sustainable reconstruction and development. Initially, the project targeted women living within the community of Pottuvil, a small village on the eastern shores of Sri Lanka, where a disproportionate number of women lost their husbands and sons – the main “breadwinners” for their families – to the tsunami. Literally, thousands of women and families were left without livelihoods or any means for survival whatsoever. By establishing their own independent bakeries, these women could once again support their families.

The introduction of the bakery project – made possible by seed funding from the Panera Bread Company, on-going contributions from generous Global Giving donors, and implementation efforts by Relief International’s Sri Lankan field teams – has been met with great initial success. To date, the Panera Bakery project has provided twenty women with comprehensive livelihood training and full-time employment in bakeries. Female participants in the project attend an orientation and receive training in marketing and leadership development to help ensure the sustainability of their new small business and the project as a whole. Furthermore, the women all receive three months of training in bread and bun production, as well has other food specialties according to local demand.

The success of the bakeries is largely attributable to the incorporation of traditional recipes, including local breads, buns, biscuits, macaroons, and pastries. Furthermore, on the grand scale, women have learned invaluable leadership skills - skills which have served as source of unity for families and entire communities. For example, direct beneficiaries of the project have developed community support groups that provide assistance to others interested in small start-up businesses, thus widening the scope and impact of the Panera Bakery project.

Moreover, the Panera Bakery project has improved current food supplies in tsunami affected areas and provided additional nutritional sources for children in particular.

While women widowed by the tsunami are the primary targets for this project, women who are widowed due to the ongoing civil conflict in Sri Lanka benefit as well. Relief International hopes to expand the bakery project in 2007 by providing tools and trainings to an increased number of women.