Masana's Bakers

Over the 9 years that I have worked with Masana, we have had the joy of helping over 130 street boys leave the streets and return to their families!  One of the biggest challenges we face is with helping older boys leave behind the street life.  Over the years, we've experimented with small businesses but found that these rarely ever last for more than a couple of months.  We've sent a few boys through vocational courses to learn skills such as sewing or electricity.  They've done well in the courses but still have trouble finding steady work.

How do you encourage a young man to stay home with his family when he feels useless in helping them day in and day out?  How do you convince him he is not simply another mouth to feed?

This has been one of Masana's biggest challenges.

But God has responded to this challenge and given Masana the incredible opportunity of partnering with another local organization called Plataforma Makobo in providing a course in baking bread, internships with local hotels and bakeries, and hopefully employment at some of these establishments or at a bakery that Plataforma Makobo plans to open later this year.

In February, 14 Masana boys competed an 8 day training in how to make bread. Now they are awaiting their internship placements.  Of these 14 boys, we chose 9 boys that were already at home.  These 9 boys were those boys that struggled with the guilt of just being another mouth to feed.  We also chose 5 boys that were still on the streets and allowed them to participate in hopes that this might be their exit from the street life.  2 of them have already gone home.  1 of them plans to go home once the internships are set.  The other 2 are looking at options of renting a house.  These boys no longer feel that they are useless to their families.  They have hope of truly feeling like they belong with their families.

Join us in praying for these 14 boys as they start their internships.  Pray for the lies of uselessness to be broken off.  Pray for them to know their value.  Pray for them to succeed in this endeavor.