Bonita Mwunvaneza
February 8th, 2010 Posted by admin
NAME: Bonita Mwunvaneza
COUNTRY: Rwanda
BUSINESS: Sugar & Spice (cookie bakery)
Bonita, 41 years old, owns a newly opened cookie bakery called Sugar and Spice.
Bonita’s business is a combination of her two passions: creating desserts and the Rwandan people. The idea behind Sugar and Spice was not only to create and sell sweets, but she also to provide the means for young Rwandan girls to support themselves without having to put themselves in dangerous or compromising situations. Bonita’s passion to help other draws from her own hardships in her life.
Originally from Canada, Bonita is now a citizen of both Canada and Rwanda. In 1993, she and her husband, a Rwandan, got married. Before living in Rwanda, they lived in Ethiopia for four years.
She currently has seven part-time employees. The bakery currently produces two types of cookies: sugar and spice. In the future, Bonita plans bake and sell designer cookies and cakes for all occasions. Bonita’s business goals include training her employees with the necessary skills, building a solid client base, expand to baking and selling cakes, and to eventually open a coffee shop that specializes in baed goods.
Through her PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS training, Bonita hopes to learn more about marketing, accounting and human resources.
February 22nd, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Dear Bonia,
I am on the board of directors for an organization called Tree of Life International, Inc. which provides educational opportunities for women in Rwanda who come to the center and learn to read and write. As you might expect, these women were greatly affected by the genocide.
We are holding a fund raiser at which we will be showing the film, As We Forgive. We are planning to have cookies and punch after the showing. Are there any simple Rwandan cookie recipes that we might use to provide an authentic type of cookie for this event?
I appreciate any advice you might give me.
Thank you,
Vicki Wilhelm
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Dear Vicki,
I’m excited to hear about your work in Rwanda. I wish there was a genuine traditional Rwandan cookie recipe. The only genuinely Rwandan dessert I’ve encountered is tea with milk and LOTS of sugar. Besides that, they don’t really eat sweets. The cookies I’ve started making are a new thing. In time, we’ll be able to provide you with cookies in Rwandan shapes (baskets, Rwandan flags, gorillas, etc.).
In the meantime, you could serve mandazi with the cookies. Mandazi is more Kenyan, but has become popular here.
Bonita