“Give a man a fish the saying goes, and you will feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime.” Dusty Breeding founder of Lifebread doesn’t care much for fishing but he certainly does believe in teaching feeding and helping those in need.
Following a bustling summer of cross-country RV touring for awareness Dusty recent returned to the United States after leading Lifebread’s second trip to Kenya and most recently his wedding to Lifebread colleague Cecily Small.
Breeding a 2010 Pepperdine graduate founded Lifebread as non-profit dedicated to building ovens and teaching sustainable skills in Africa. Breeding says Lifebread is a combination of his passion for Christ’s message his love of the culinary arts and a calling to serve.
An endeavor reflective of Pepperdine’s mission Lifebread combines social entrepreneurship with missionary work. This breed of social entrepreneurship combines relief work constructive community building and sustainable solutions. Like the Chinese proverb those committed to social entrepreneurship teach those in need how to become self-sustained: meeting first the physical needs and then leaving a legacy of capability.
Breeding’s mission is simple: “We feed people because we love God he said. Breeding modeled Lifebread after the actions of Jesus throughout the Gospels. He said because Jesus met the physical and spiritual needs of the masses out of his love for God, that message has become his personal calling to serve. Breeding said he and his crew of Pepperdine graduates serve those in need out of love for their faith and a passion for Christ’s’ message.
Once the ovens and bakeries are built the Lifebread team gives classes in culinary work and sustainability paired with bible classes to foster spiritual development. Lifebread is highly developed missionary work. The team builds and teaches but additionally instills a lasting imprint of Christ’s love and community sustainability.
Lifebread adjusts its tasks depending on the needs and capabilities of the area.
In Kenya Lifebread has a bakery to compliment a catering school for a local orphanage. In Western Uganda the bakery extends into a local village and provides a co-op center for women to use the ovens and then sell their products. The co-op has been particularly successful in combining sustainability with self-reliance. Training those in need for culinary jobs and sustainable living remains the goal of both locations.
Breeding was first inspired on a trip to Kenya and Uganda during his sophomore year at Pepperdine. While traveling the through slums and villages Breeding used his culinary arts training and craftsmanship to build his first three ovens at a Christian youth camp in Western Uganda.
After witnessing the ovens’ impact on the camp Breeding came back to the States and with a plan to continue building sustainable community food sources in Africa. With a degree in religion and a passion for service Breeding combined the loves of his life to create Lifebread in 2007.
After two years of creating planning and praying Breeding lead nine students from Pepperdine back to Kenya to kick off Lifebread’s missionary work. During the journey Breeding gained members of his ever-growing team. Cecily Small one of the students on the initial trip is now the graphic merchandise and web designer for Lifebread. Cecily is responsible for the website and creative work and has also been crucial to the development and exponential growth of Lifebread.
Another one of the students on the first trip was Jessica Barns now Lifebread’s director of development. Barnsis continually inspired by “the simplicity of bread and food to develop relationships that cross oceans and country boarders she said.
This summer Breeding Small and Barns set out on a cross-country awareness tour. With an RV and two interns the Lifebread crew enthusiastically went from church meetings to youth groups to Pepperdine Alumni meetings to raise funds and awareness. The road trip transitioned into a two-week mission to Uganda where the team is now. After a long summer the team is already planning for next year.
According to Barns Lifebread is gearing up for a bright future. For the upcoming year Dusty and Cecily will be living full time in Kenya researching the local food needs and building relationships with communities in need.
Barns will continue her role as director of development for Lifebread back in Malibu. While the Breedings continue the investigative work Barns will handle future fundraising community awareness and activism on campus. Her next goal is to raise awareness at Pepperdine’s sister schools such as Abilene Christian University and Harding and start Lifebread chapters.
With a two week long trip to Africa planned for this winter — for which th
e group is now accepting applications — and more projects coming down the line for the fall Lifebread is expanding fast.
This fall Lifebread is looking for two fall interns to assist Barns in her work as well as assist in increased activism fundraising and publicity on campus.
With two running bakeries in Western Uganda and Nairobi Kenya Breeding and the Lifebread team continue to reach further and dream bigger.