Dzaleka refugee camp is home to over 51,000 people, and a significant trading centre for people living in the local area. The gap in the market for bread was huge until Ahmed Hassan, a Somali refugee, set up Dowa Bakery. 

Today the bakery employs 28 people: 14 Malawian, and 14 refugees originally from Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Up to 375 kg of flour per day are required to meet the production needs.

Dowa Bakery have expanded their product range far beyond the standard loaf: they make biscuits, eight types of bread, various types of doughnuts, and even communion wafers!

Set up with personal funds and a great deal of entrepreneurial spirit, Dowa Bakery is a great example of the positive impact which refugee businesses can have on local economy and employment.

Check out their Facebook page Dowa Bakery