A New Hope for Nazreen
"I have grown so much and I'm so glad to have
contributed to the bakery's success"
16 year old Nazreen has been living in our safe home for a few months now and is already in the full swing of daily life in both the rescue home and also in the Heart Of Baking program!
Studying part-time while she recouperates, Nazreen says she couldn't be more elated with the changes being made in her life.
"Since I was a child, I had always had a curious attitude which made me want to learn new things. Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to go to school or ask questions to the grown-ups around me.
"I just accepted that that was my life and moved on. Even as things got worse and worse for me, even when I ended up in [forced] labour. I just kept saying: 'That's life'"
But after being rescued and brought to our safe home, Nazreen started noticing just how different things could be. Especially upon entering the Heart Of Baking.
"Mrs Sheela, our first baking instructor was incredible and kind... All my life I was punished for the little mistakes I made, so I was too afraid to step in and learn for myself." Says Nazreen
“But I was amazed just from watching the way Mrs Sheela combined different ingredients to make such wonderful, delicious products in the end. Although the process looked too complicated, so I didn’t think I would be able to make any of the beautiful baked items myself. So I decided I would just watch the other girls around me do the baking, and I would only help to wash the dishes at the end of the day.
"Even when the instructors asked me to try to do some of the steps, I would refuse and keep asking to just watch the others do it instead... Somewhere in my heart I knew I was letting an opportunity slide away. But I was too scared to try anyway. Even so, Mrs Sheela was patient and kind and never gave up on me. I think she knew deep down how excited I was to finally have the chance to learn something new."
"After attending the baking training classes for just a few months, I was surprised at how quickly the girls around me picked up their baking skills and started making cakes and breads and all sorts of other treats by themselves!”
Following months of encouragement from Mrs Sheela and the other girls in the programme, Nazreen eventually started to take part in the baking herself.
“At first, I only assisted them by bringing the measuring cups, spoons and the ingredients they needed while they were baking. Then slowly I started to help out in different steps by stirring and kneading. I made mistakes and I did feel very bad about them at first, sometimes I would even cry over them. But then Mrs Sheela and Neha Didi (Didi means older sister) patiently explained to me why I was making those mistakes, how it would affect the end product, and what I could do about it next time.
‘That was when I started to understand things so much better! I could learn from my mistakes, without being punished for them. It made me feel so safe and supported in a way I never had before. Slowly, with everyone’s help, I got better and better, and one awesome day I made Mumbai Pav Buns all by myself and they came out perfect! Everyone appreciated me and that helped my confidence so much and that made me even more excited to learn how to do more and more recipes!”
After months of encouragement, training and uplifting, Nazreen is able to work completely independently, even earning her own wage for the first time in her life!
Now, Nazreen's famous choc-chip cookies are a staple in the Heart Of Baking shop!
"I feel very happy when our bakery's customers enjoy the cookies that I make. I have grown so much and I'm so glad to have contributed to the bakery's success! But if I'm honest, I would have given up on myself long ago if I didn't have so many people around me, refusing to give up on themselves or on me, and always pushing me forward. So I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity."