The Ifakara Bakery Project, Tanzania
On the evening of Sunday 27th February 2011, following the evening service, a group of about 30 people gathered for a simple meal of bread, cheese and fruit in the South Aisle of St Nicolas' Church.
They were there not only to share a meal in a place and in a style which seems to be catching on at St Nicolas', but to hear about a remarkable project in a remote corner of Africa whose purpose is to provide free bread for hundreds.
In 1998, Kings Norton residents Eugene and Margaret Schellenberg went on holiday to Tanzania. In a way that they could not possibly have foreseen, their visit triggered a series of conversations and meetings with local people which led, within a remarkably short time, to the construction and equipping of the first bakery ever to be built in the small town of Ifakara, some 250 miles to the south-west of Dar es Salaam. Their willingness to respond to a simple request for help has had a profound and lasting impact on the lives of countless Tanzanians.
Today, with the continued support of the Schellenbergs and many friends and supporters, the Ifakara bakery continues to provide daily bread for hundreds of people. Some of the loaves are sold; many are given free of charge to the local hospital, kindergarten and orphanage, paid for by donations from Britain and elsewhere.
At the Tanzanian end, the project is coordinated by the Sisters of St Francis, an order of Christian nuns whose vision for the creation of the bakery prompted the Schellenbergs to act.
Eugene and Margaret's inspirational account of faith combined with practical action challenged all those who heard it that evening. To those of us who listened, it was clear that their simple yet costly obedience to God's invitation opened the door to a miracle which continues to grow.
The New Testament tells the story of an occasion when Jesus' audience handed him the little food they had and he turned it into an inexhaustible feast. It's an account which can be read on many levels. It is also a pattern which has been reproduced throughout history as men and women have handed their meagre resources over to Christ and He has multiplied them in ways which human reason struggles to explain. This, surely, is another example of the overwhelming generosity and ingenuity of God, who waits only for us to say "yes" before making us the answer to other people's prayers.
To read more about the Ifakara Bakery Project, click here.
