King Benjamin Project

Bakery/Food Processing Facility Update June 2003

The bakery is up and running. There are three families of the Chimbas Ward benefitting from employment provided via the bakery. Claudio would like to expand the bakery with a third oven. The funding provided in March was insufficient to complete the entire roof structure. So we are searching for another $175 US, which would fund completion of the roof and construction of a third oven.

The bakery is also providing a charitable service in San Juan. Beginning in April, they have donated 10 loaves of their daily production to a nearby orphanage for young boys.

In the first month or so of use, production costs have been averaging 50 centavos (1/2 peso)/loaf; and a profit of 25 centavos (.25 pesos)/loaf.

Bakery/Food Processing Facility February 2003

Claudio Manrique of the San Juan Chimbas ward is constructing a bakery and food-processing area in his back yard. He plans to utilize 3-4 unemployed members of his ward to run this bakery/processing facility. He has identified outlets for all of the potential production of the bakery; and has tested many specialty, value-added items such as 'pan dulce', 'semitas', etc.

Claudio Manrique and the oven area when I arrived, with one completed oven.

When I arrived he had completed one oven, a small area of concrete flooring, and had covered about 1/3 of the total area with a roof. I provided some immediate financial assistance, with which he purchased 5 bags of cement and a cubic meter of sand. That allowed him to finish a second oven and lay more of the concrete flooring.

The two ovens completed a few days later.

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Claudio's two son's are proud of their father's work.

The donation of about $400 US (March 6, 2003) will allow completion of this project-complete the concrete flooring, raise the block walls and provide a roof superstructure and roofing materials, etc.

A view of the food processing/bakery area. The area with the black roofing will be the food
processing area, the ovens are to the right.

Instead of paying over 2000 pesos for a commercial dough mixer, Claudio purchased a
new cement mixer for under 300 pesos. He removed 2 of the 3 mixing arms, and
the unit performs very well as a dough mixer.

Claudio uses produce boxes as a fuel source to fire his ovens. With two of
these used boxes he can bake 10-20 lbs of bread.

The Nelson, Newhall, Clemence and Lindstrom families provided funding for this donation.