The story of Khadija Al Ali is a moving one. She lost her home, husband and brother to terrorism in Syria. She came to Coventry with her children through the UN Resettlement Programme. Unable to speak any English, the Coventry Refugee Centre referred her to Proof Bakery - a social enterprise based in Coventry and supported by St Catherine’s Church, Stoke Aldermoor - where she is now head of kitchen. Her story was recently picked up and told in the Mirror Newspaper and also on BBC Radio.
During the pandemic, the kitchen at St Catherine's has been where Khadija and other refugee widows have baked thousands of loaves of bread and ciabatta for Coventry Foodbank, helping to meet a surge in demand for emergency food during the pandemic.
Vicar of St Catherine’s, the Revd Buff Forbes Stone explains:
“St Catherine's wanted to support refugees and asylum seekers in our city so it's a delight to have been working alongside Khadija and the other bakers. Our partnership brings benefits and supports Proof Bakery's work and their bread making skills ensure a supply of fresh bread to the Foodbank network. It's a great way for our skills and resources to complement each other- and brings a wonderful smell of baked goods to our site!”
Chernise, founder of Proof Bakery, has got to know Khadija well, she says:
"I met Khadija when she attended Proof Bakery's very first employability programme as a recently arrived Syrian war widow and single mum. Despite having only been in English classes for about a year, she was very determined to communicate, already an experienced home baker, and incredibly keen to learn. Two years on, she is now our Head of Kitchen and a good friend. Her resilience and courage inspire me every day. I started Proof Bakery to give refugee women in Coventry a leg up, but it is they who have ended up blessing our city with their skills, their kindness and sense of humour, and their baking for Foodbank."
The cost of the bread is being covered by donations from individuals from many churches across the City, as well as grants secured with the help of Together for Change Coventry & Warwickshire including from the Albert Gubay Charitable Foundation and the Heart of England Community Foundation. Such generous funding has also paid for upgrading the bread oven, to keep up with demand from Coventry’s hungry families.
To find out more about Proof Bakery, visit their website and Facebook page.