'We're changing lives': This small Sydney bakery gave Ben more than a job

At a small bakery in Sydney, asylum seekers and refugees find more than work — they find hope, belonging and a chance to rebuild their lives.

Afghan refugee Ben (left) is training at a small bakery in Sydney with hopes of one day opening his own business. Source: SBS

For many refugees and asylum seekers in Australia, finding work can take years.

At a small bakery in Sydney's inner-west, that wait is being cut short — offering people like Ben a chance to rebuild their lives, one loaf at a time.

Inside the bakery, fruit mince pies are lined up in neat rows, each crowned with a pastry star. Among the trainees preparing festive treats for the busy holiday season is Ben, who arrived in Australia after fleeing Afghanistan.

Ben, who asked SBS News not to give his last name, is filling Christmas orders at the Bread and Butter Project in Marrickville.

"It's my first Christmas in Australia and this morning we had a big order to fill," the 37-year-old said.

Ben says he loves working at the bakery where everyone supports each other like a big family. Source: SBS / Spencer Austad

"I love working here, and although we work hard, we never feel tired because we support each other, like a big family," Ben said.

While he is grateful to have found work soon after arriving in Australia, he said the festive season is also a reminder of those he has left behind in Kabul.

"My dream is one day to celebrate the festive season together with my family," he said.

Ben is one of 20 trainees taking part in the Bread and Butter Project this year. The small wholesale bakery has grown steadily since launching in 2013 and now employs 40 staff, producing around 1.5 million baked goods each year.

Paul Allam, the bakery's co-founder, said: "We put through thousands of loaves and rolls every week, and we have delivery vans on the road every night."

"But the most important part for us is the lives we are changing."

Paul Allam (left) helped to establish a small bakery to help Karen refugee women at an orphanage on the Thai-Myanmar border. Source: Supplied / Paul Allam

Allam, who has a background in baking, said the idea for the social enterprise was sparked during a visit to an orphanage on the Thai-Myanmar border in 2011, where he helped establish a similar initiative with Karen refugee women.

The Karen, also known as Kayin, are an ethnic group originally from Myanmar (formerly Burma) and Thailand.

"I was in Mae Sot [in Thailand] at an orphanage run by Franciscan nuns and they were very entrepreneurial, and really inspiring," he said.

"We worked with probably 20 to 25 Karen women and we built this little bakery.

"On the final day, we had all the bread ready to go out, and then the cafe and restaurant owners came in, and we signed up eight accounts that day."

Allam said the bakery in Mae Sot is still operating and continues to provide food for the local community.

Back in Australia, he helped pioneer the Bread and Butter Project, which became part of a growing movement of social enterprises nationwide.

The $20 billion impact of Australia's social enterprises

Australia is now home to more than 12,000 social enterprises, contributing over $16 billion to the economy, according to a recent report by Social Traders, a leading industry body for the sector.

Social Traders CEO Tara Anderson said: "Every year those social enterprises create $5.7 billion worth of impact for communities."

"They also provide 89,000 jobs for people that would otherwise be shut out of work."

Tara Anderson, CEO of Social Traders, said social enterprises create 89,000 jobs for people who would otherwise be jobless. Source: SBS / Spencer Austad

Many social enterprises are funded through trade — the products they make or sell — and often provide first jobs for people facing significant barriers to employment.

"Every year in Australia, social enterprises like the Bread and Butter Project create 16 million hours of employment for people like Ben," Anderson said.

Bread, belonging and a pathway to work

Allam is proud of the 120 new graduates of his training program.

"I am happy to do something really positive for the community and obviously supporting refugees and asylum seekers really makes sense for me personally," he said.

"Bread is part of many cultures, usually made from a grain that is milled and pressed and then baked. So, it is a crucial part of life."

Among the graduates is Samia Salhab, who is now working full-time as a trainer. The mother-of-three said she is grateful for a new start in Australia after fleeing the civil war in Syria.

Samia Salhab (right) and Ben work closely at Sydney's Bread and Butter project. Source: SBS / Sandra Fulloon

"It is a responsibility, a big responsibility to teach the trainees and many are from different cultures," the 45-year-old said.

"Although we don't share the same language, we speak in English and communication is very important here.

"Like Ben, most want to work hard and learn."

CEO Eva Rabanal said at the heart of the project is a broad-based training approach.

"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," she told SBS News.

Staff earn full wages, and by the end of three months' training, each is placed in a permanent job in food and catering. Some even go on to open their own business, she said.

"Our program is life-changing. Many would not be able to secure ongoing work on their own without our support," she said.

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Grants for social enterprises look to break cycles of disadvantage

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For Ben, bread has been central to his survival since fleeing Afghanistan 13 years ago.

For more than a decade, he lived in Indonesia, making Middle Eastern flatbread to earn money for shared housing in and around the capital, Jakarta.

Ten weeks ago, he moved to Australia on a humanitarian visa. Without friends or family, he described it as a "lonely time".

"It was a big challenge for me, actually, to find a job. I saw others going to work each day and it was a stressful time for me," he said.

"So, now I am very happy to work here, and Samia is teaching me everything."

Although still a new hire, Ben has already earned a reputation for focus and motivation. Source: SBS / Sandra Fulloon

At the bakery, Ben is learning new skills through hands-on training. Although still a new hire, he has already earned a reputation for focus and motivation.

"Ben is an exceptionally good worker, and we would love to keep him on, but he also probably needs to go out eventually and get a different job so he can grow and earn a little more money," Allam said.

Looking ahead, Ben hopes to one day open his own business. For him, baking bread is more than a skill — it's a way to give back in his new home.

"I make bread with love and I hope people feel that when they eat it."

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