NadEzhko Social Bakery in Sofia, Bulgaria, is a bakery social enterprise part of the Bread Houses Network. BHN is a non-for-profit association, which creates and unites centers for community-building, creativity, and social entrepreneurship with the mission to inspire individuals and communities to discover their creative potential and cooperate across all ages, economic opportunities, disabilities and trauma, and ethnic backgrounds – all through our unique collective bread-making methods and proven Bread therapy with accompanying art forms and sustainable ecological education.
In 2014 we opened our Bread House and social enterprise bakery in Sofia called “NadEzhko”. It offers a wide variety of handmade sourdough breads and different ecological products from Bulgaria. In the bakery we train and employ people from vulnerable groups: orphans, long-term unemployed, mothers of many children. In addition, at Sofia Bread House, we developed and offer special paid programs, including:
- “Bread building” as a teambuilding method, appreciated by major international companies
- “3S: Sifting-Shaping-Sharing”, alternative career counseling method for young people, already successfully diffused in Austria
- “Cultures and Breads of the World” Educational Program, engaging people to explore the cultures of around 30+ countries by making their traditional breads
- “Kitchen music” and “Theater of Crumbs” regular community baking events for mixed groups
- “Playing kitchen” a unique tool to develop healthy eating habits in kids employing funny food activities
These programs and activities can be booked by companies, schools and kindergartens, universities, families and friends, and also for special occasions like birthdays and corporate parties. The financial income from our paid services is used for :
- our various social projects
- regular weekly free Bread therapy sessions with our proven methods helping people with disabilities, orphans, women victims of domestic violence, and others
- regular weekly community baking events for mixed groups fostering social cohesion and integration across all ages and special needs
The broad vision of the Bread Houses Network is to root social inclusion in simplicity. Our programs are for everybody, not limited to gender, age, profession, abilities, class, or ethnic heritage, thus uniting young and old, rich and poor, stranger and friend.