Daily bread – Our humanitarian aid in Syria

“This project has changed my life,” says Wadha Awad Al-Hassan. She has become a baker in the Al-Awda Camp in Syria. Around 30 women from the Al-Awda Camp in Kelly and Shabor Ma'ara Camp in Zardana have received this training.

The bakers in the arche nova project start work at 5 a.m. The ovens are heated up and the dough is prepared.

There are four small traditional bakeries in total, where everything is made by hand. The baking operations are organized by camp committees set up specifically for this purpose. Among other things, they have to ensure that there is enough flour and firewood every day.

The finished dough is shaped into balls in rows before it has to rest a second time.

Then the bakers transform the dough portions into thin flatbreads—partly with rolling pins, partly with their wrists.

The bread is baked in traditional tandoor ovens heated with wood. The flatbreads are “hung” on the oven wall. The bakers use a cloth cushion for this purpose.

It only takes a few seconds for the flatbreads, called “khubz,” to be ready. They are very popular because of their traditional method of preparation. 

The proceeds finance the bakers' wages. However, only what is left over is sold. Most of the bags are intended for the residents of the camps. 

Our partner organization Bonyan organizes the distribution to particularly needy families who lost their homes during the war. A total of 1,400 people are supported in this way.

Khaled Ahmad Muhamad is one of those who receive bread every day. Without this support, he would not be able to feed his family.

His daughters love the traditionally made bread.