Promoting Education, Health and Enterprise in a Maasai Community
The Searle Street Cake Club
Saturday 4th July was the first day of the Searle St Cake Club. This was set up as a continuation of the cake sharing initiative to keep spirits and blood sugar up during lock down. In pre COVID times there was a Charity Bake Sale held at St Giles’ Cambridge, where the money raised was given to a group of Charities of which Friends of Namuncha was one.
Danish Dream Cake
This cake is one of Denmark’s favourites. It came from a family recipe in Jutland, a recipe held by a grandmother. In the 1950’s her young granddaughter innocently submitted it to a food company who were looking for traditional Danish cake recipes. Sometime later she was surprised to see it as one of the recipes under the AMO brand. At that time a caramelised coconut cake topping was unusual. The name “Dream” was given by the company without explanation. 
2022
The St Giles Church gate cake sale returned as the pandemic subsided. St Giles will donate a sponsorship from the charity funds. Charlotte with a small group of bakers continues to offer to bake every month a selection of cakes against orders as the Searle Street Cake Club.
During the year the cake club has raised £3160 for the FoN, £880 for the Cambridge City Food bank and £460 to the Ukraine Humanitarian fund.
2021
February 20th 2021
The sun was shining, the thermometer was showing 16’C, last weeks minus numbers were forgotten and the February cake club orders were being delivered. 229 cakes to 44 households was our biggest ever order and and enable us to put £599 in to the Girl’s Rest Room building fund. With the stone and the hard core coming from the community we are nearly at the stage of building the shell before starting the furnishing. Thank you to the Searle Street Bakers and Buyers.
January 23rd 2021
A new year and an old rhythm. Thirty six orders were distributed to the old neighborhood but this time including the upper end of Alpha Rd. Six new customers made orders which were delivered between short bursts of snow. For a few minutes Cambridge was a winter wonderland albeit a short-lived wonder. The cake club is collecting money to help build a Girl’s Rest Room at the primary school. A great start with £510 in the bank.
2020
December 19th
The last of the December treats were delivered, 31 honey biscuit hearts, to hang on the wall, in the window or just at. All personalised with an iced on name. Giving the house where they live the fragrance of Christmas, cinnamon.
It is the Danish tradition to name the heart for those who will come to your house for the festival. As there is little or no meeting this year they can be used as proxy guests.
The money raised from the Cinnamon swirls and the Hearts has raised enough to pay for one college start up grant. Thank you to the bakers and the buyers.
December 12th
Today saw the delivery of the Searle Street Cake Club Christmas Special. Seasonally we had Christmas cake, 
Gluten-Free Jamaican Ginger Bread Loaf, Mince Pie and Custard Loaf, Christmas Puddings,
Iced Stem-Ginger and Treacle Squares and a Gingerbread House Kit, complete with icing and sweets. The Lemon Drizzle cake was given extra zest by the fresh Spanish Lemons donated by Pata Negra Spanish Foods.
There were also old favourites, Luxury Florentines, Palmiers, Parmesan Biscuits, and Rocky Road.
Tomorrow, December 13th, is St Lucia’s Day when the Nordic Countries celebrate light in the darkness of winter we have St Lucia Buns.
We are pleased to share our Christmas bounty with A Local Community Christmas Tree Festival and the Cambridge Convoy Refugee Action Group to aid their work with refugees fleeing terror and persecution across harsh and often unfriendly lands.
October (17th) Bake Club
The table groaned under the weight of 206 items, cakes, biscuits, and crispbread, for 28 people to enjoy.
At the same time, we have raised £500 for the local Cambridge City Foodbank. This will be delivered via the St Giles’ Church Charity fund.
As a charity that is often concerned about those in Namuncha without food, it is only right that the Searle St Cake Club should turn its focus and energy to those who go without food in our home town.
Thank you again to the bakers, those who deliver the cakes and especially the members who buy and enjoy them.
The next Club day is November 21st.
Week 1, July 4th
On offer today for week 1 were Namuncha Crisp Bread, Coffee Walnut cake and Luxury Strawberry Tart. The later started in preparation the night before and was coated with chocolate to harden overnight. This morning it received a covering of vanilla custard and topped off with fresh strawberries .
All were wrapped or boxed and placed in large white carrier bags and walked to their new owners.
Week 2,
35 cakes were baked, delivered to, and enjoyed (so we hear) by 20 people.
While all this cooking and eating were going on Dominic Ndigiti and Elijha Nkamaa were erecting two chimneys. We have now raised enough for at least 20 chimneys.
Dominic is more usually seen on the sporting pages of the newspapers, https://www.pd.co.ke/sports/athletics/from-humble-background-poverty-ndigitis-family-can-afford-a-meal-29238/ as Kenya’s 10,000 metre race walking champion. Today would have been in Tokyo but because of the pandemic he is helping the Namuncha bakers to cook in a cleaner more healthy atmosphere.
It’s the 19th July and the baking of the last two days is spread out on our dining table.
The last delivery of fresh raspberries are washed and set into the icing on the Bakewell tart.
is a delightful small town in Derbyshire, famous for its pudding and tarts. Nearly every shop in the town’s centre and small lines advertises the true original Bakewell. Some can be stored in the freezer, some you must eat before the day is out and all
made to the recipe handed down through the generations and locked up in some impenetrable safe. It is also sold in various forms by bakers to the millions and of course by the St Giles’s Bakers who are happy to share their recipes with anyone who will buy a copy of their recipe book. The wonder in baking as in life is diversity.
The cakes are packed into bags according to the orders and delivery around Searle St begins.
Meanwhile in Namuncha, the first chimney will be tested on Monday, when the oven setting will be dry. We will bring you reports via Facebook on Monday evening.
Week 4
July 15th and the last day of the first month of the Searle Street Cake Club. 133 cakes and 16 packets of crispbread will have been enjoyed by 25 club members after the last delivery.
Janice helped by her husband Roy bring their home made fruit cakes, ready for packing up and delivering.
The bakers now rest up for an August break but are planning a September programme.
This time supporting the development of a beekeeping group in Namuncha
This week we have Hummingbird Cake, 
Fruit Cake and Cinnamon Swirls.
Like to see how the Cinnamon Swirls are made? Click on the picture above or here.
Just as importantly, over £700 has been raised to fund the building of chimneys in the manyattas of Namuncha. After the first 10 are built we will consult with the community leaders to see if we can stretch the money further and but looking for part payments and other local funds.
Already the first firs have been lit and the women of the manyattas can see the effect in terms of lack of smoke. Soon we will know if their CO levels are falling
IDEA. If this is something you can do in your neighbourhood, contact us at ncspuk@gmail.com or searlestreetcakes@gmail.com for details etc.
