Hello! My name is Chris and I’m co-founder of Codetta Bake Shop. We are a small, minority-owned bakery in Baltimore, MD.

Today, as we enter this giving season, I am setting up this fundraiser for a dear family friend of many years, Sister Bridget. She is an amazing woman from Zambia who from a very young age, entered the church as a nun and has been serving, helping, and educating people across the globe for over 40 years.

A little more than a decade ago, her father, all of her siblings, and all of their spouses were tragically killed in a motor vehicle accident on a bus in Zambia. That left Sister Bridget and her mother, who has since also passed, to care for the 17 orphaned nieces and nephew left behind.

The last 10+ years have been a constant battle in trying to take care of these children. With little money and even less support, a few of them have since passed away from malnutrition, suicide, and tragic accidents. Throughout this time, there have been many attempts to get some of them to other countries for education and a better life. Most have been unsuccessful. Especially now with tightened immigration laws and COVID travel bans, they are essentially trapped in this village.

The last 4 years, Zambia has experienced an unprecedented drought. Crops are scarce and hunger, malnutrition, and death are at an all-time high.

Earlier this year, the children and Sister Bridget decided to find land to purchase in order for the children to raise livestock and farm in order to for once, support themselves and stop relying on inconsistent donations and government support. They need several thousand dollars to finish paying off the land and hire a crew to come dig a well for the farm.

My family, friends, and business have personally donated a few thousand for food for the children as well as a down payment on the land. Now, we need your help!

Please help us raise funds to:

-Finish paying off the land before planting season begins in 2 weeks.

-Pay for a well to be constructed. This is CRUCIAL. Clean water and water to grow crops is so scarce right now and would alleviate so much time, energy, and worry.

-Send extra funds for food and supplies for the children to avoid malnutrition.

Our goal is $6,000 but obviously anything helps. If we go above the goal, that would be amazing as it would really help them begin building a home on this land.

What you give today will literally change the lives of these beautiful children forever. They will finally have an income, security, and dignity as they move forward in life with the ability to care for themselves and each other.

Sister Bridget is the one person in my life that has always helped me stay grounded, humble, and grateful for the life I have been given. Throughout all the tragedy that her and her family has suffered through, most of which I didn’t mention in this write-up, she has always been a beacon of love, joy, and hope. I’m truly honored to know her and help relieve some of the immeasurable stress she carries on her shoulders everyday.

Thanks so much for reading and I hope you can help us this holiday season!

These are some of the nieces current day
Other little nieces 
This nephew is Brian and he is standing on the farm land they are purchasing. 

This is Sister Bridget’s sister, Febby and her three sons. She passed away in the accident and left behind John, Joshua, and Martin.
Pictured is another of her brothers lost in the accident with two children he left behind.