A Slice of Empowerment

Sr. Swapna Devasia discovered an unexpected avenue for empowerment by combining her passion for baking with the needs of marginalized girls and women in her community. Read her story below.

As a religious social worker, my primary focus has always been empowering marginalized communities in my home country of India, and working to combat human trafficking, a looming threat to impoverished local women and girls. However, I’ve always had a secret passion – baking cakes. There’s something therapeutic about mixing ingredients together and watching batter transform into a masterpiece. And of course I delight in sharing my creations with others and the joy that comes from eating and savoring the delicious cake itself. 

In our poor villages where local women have limited economic opportunities, buying a cake is a luxury few can afford. And yet, cakes are seen as an essential part of our celebrations, especially children’s birthdays, which made me realize that cake baking is a viable job skill. This sparked an idea within me – why not combine my passion for baking with my profession, empowering women to increase their wages and work towards economic independence through baking? Best of all, with more control of their economic livelihoods, their risk of falling prey to human trafficking would diminish.

So, I began training village girls who dropped out of school and rural women in the art of baking cakes. These women, often relegated to traditional roles at home, were eager to learn. As they mixed, measured, and baked, I witnessed a transformation in them. They gained confidence, developed a sense of purpose, and discovered a new passion.

Today, these women are turning their newfound baking skills into a livelihood, and they see new possibilities within their reach. They bake cakes for special occasions and sell them in the villages. As they grow, they also plan to supply cakes to nearby shops. The impact goes beyond just their economic empowerment – they’ve gained a sense of independence, self-worth, and a platform to express their creativity.  

There’s no greater delight than seeing the faces of these incredible girls and women light up as they take their first bite of a cake they’ve worked so hard to create. But in the end, it’s not just about baking cakes – it’s about baking a brighter future, where a new livelihood means these girls and women are also empowered to battle the threat of human trafficking in their communities.

I am deeply grateful to our amazing God for my vocation to the Congregation of St. Joseph. And I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the SRW family for supporting me, so I can turn my vision into reality, and uplift rural women by giving them the wings to soar.