Ben is a 37-year-old refugee from Afghanistan. He has already built up a reputation for his commendable work ethic and drive as their newest recruit under the Bread and Butter Project enterprise in Marrickville, Sydney. Ben escaped his home country 13 years ago, spending most of that time in Indonesia. Only ten weeks earlier, he had landed in Australia on a humanitarian visa. His story is a testament to amazing perseverance. It underscores the role social enterprise plays in changing lives by connecting marginalized communities with meaningful employment opportunities.
The Bread and Butter Project isn’t your average bakery — it’s a social enterprise. It zealously puts to work people who are all too frequently the last hired and first fired. Ben is one of 20 trainees in this year’s program. To achieve this goal, the program emphasizes teaching participants with practical instruction in the skills they will need. These days, he’s deep in Christmas order production, perfecting his baking craftsmanship while giving back to the community.
To support himself in Indonesia, Ben baked and sold Middle Eastern flatbread. His experience there made him the perfect fit for his current role in overseeing the bakery. Today, he’s updating these skills under the guidance of Samia Salhab, a full-time, committed trainer who inspires trainees and encourages their leadership. Salhab emphasizes the responsibility she feels in teaching individuals from diverse backgrounds and ensuring they receive the support necessary to thrive.
“It is a responsibility, a big responsibility to teach the trainees and many are from different cultures.” – Samia Salhab
Ben is not shy in sharing the gratitude he feels for the openness he has discovered within the bakery’s walls. He explains that friendships between teachers and staff create a family environment.
“I love working here, and although we work hard, we never feel tired because we support each other, like a big family.” – Ben
His dedication has not gone unnoticed. After only three months of training, Ben was able to stay employed in a permanent position working in food and catering. Now, he’s actually being paid what he’s worth! What a great glimpse into the Bread and Butter Project’s impactful mission this transition represents. It helps provide living wage, sustainable job opportunities for refugees and asylum seekers.
Tara Anderson is a fierce defender of social enterprises. She serves up some great stats that show the amazing difference that endeavors like the Bread and Butter Project can make. She notes that these institutions produce an average of $5.7 billion in value for communities annually. They support almost 89,000 jobs for people who would otherwise be marginalized from the labor force.
“Every year in Australia, social enterprises like the Bread and Butter Project create 16 million hours of employment for people like Ben.” – Tara Anderson
Ben’s aspirations extend beyond his current role. He hopes to one day spend the joyful season with his family, still stranded in Afghanistan. His ultimate goal is to own his own business. This will give him the ability and opportunity to shape a positive future not just for himself, but for his family and community.
“My dream is one day to celebrate the festive season together with my family.” – Ben
Paul Allam, co-founder of the Bread and Butter Project, emphasizes the bakery’s commitment to making a difference in people’s lives. In fact, he cranks out thousands of loaves and rolls each week. His real passion lies with the lives he’s changing through helping people find work.
“But the most important part for us is the lives we are changing.” – Paul Allam
The Bread and Butter Project’s training program is focused on more than just baking. It provides tailored assistance for these youth, such as individualized English-language tutoring. Eva Rabanal, one of the leaders on the ground floor of the organization’s culture, speaks to communication being key. She feels it is essential for the success of trainees such as Ben.
“Our participants get hands-on training on baking bread and pastry as well as wraparound support, such as one-on-one English tutoring and general help in Australian life.” – Eva Rabanal
Ben has fully adopted his new Australian lifestyle. His understanding of how working at the bakery has helped him personally, professionally and emotionally. He is honored to serve in this way and be a positive asset to his community and use his passion for helping refugees and asylum seekers.
“I am happy to do something really positive for the community and obviously supporting refugees and asylum seekers really makes sense for me personally.” – Ben
