In uncertain economic times, having an extra set of skills is never a bad idea. That’s the philosophy behind a Rotarian-supported vocational training program in Brazil that gives teenagers the know-how they need to land jobs in bakeries.

With US$33,000 in funding from Rotarians and The Rotary Foundation, teens at Sonja Kill High School in Rio de Janeiro’s tough Praça Mauá neighborhood are learning to bake bread even as they pursue their regular studies. The funds were used to buy new industrial baking equipment – including an oven, a kneading machine, and a mixer – to equip a space just a few doors away from the school.

The money was provided by the Rotary clubs of Köln am Rhein in Germany; Bhagyanagar in India; and Flamengo, Paranapuã, and Ramos in Brazil. The Foundation chipped in $13,500 through a Matching Grant.

Rotarians in Rio de Janeiro have been partnering for the past decade with clubs from Germany and elsewhere on a series of 17 Matching Grant projects to help young people from the community, which faces problems such as unemployment, drugs, and prostitution. Projects at Sonja Kill and the adjoining Padre Francisco da Motta School have included providing nutritious lunches and offering shop and graphic arts courses.

“Today, more than 5,000 children are safe, off the streets, and have a future because Rotarians care,” says Past District Governor Adélia Villas, who volunteers at the site.

In May, students baked their first product: French rolls. “I am really happy,” said 16-year-old Nayara Araújo de Oliveira. “I never thought the bread would turn out so tasty. Now this is my favorite class. I like being able to see the results of our work so fast.”