Free loaves to those in need
Baking with trust: Mosul baker leaves bread out for nighttime buyers
MOSUL — A Mosul baker has launched an innovative initiative to provide bread late at night by setting out loaves on an outdoor table with a collection box for payments. Ahmed Mohammed, owner of Dijla Bakery in the Al-Nour neighborhood, said he prepares 200 loaves each evening to ensure that people and restaurant owners can access bread at all hours.
“People may need bread late at night, so I place 20 bags worth 20,000 IQD ($13) every night, and in the morning, I often find more than that amount in the box,” he told 964media.
“The security and social situations in Mosul are currently at their best, with safety and trust prevailing among people,” Mohammed added.
He further explained that the bread provided at night is not excess from daytime production, “as some might think,” but a fixed quantity prepared every evening.
Mohammed also donates 300 to 400 loaves daily to those in need, sometimes using funds donated by others. He said an Iraqi resident living in Canada recently contributed $400 to support his efforts.
“I will soon open a second branch in the Al-Wahda neighborhood and implement the same method for offering bread,” he said.
Inspired by Mohammed’s initiative, the owner of Sulaymaniyah Bakery has adopted a similar practice, displaying bags of bread at night for customers to purchase.
“I started this approach in 2022, and my neighbor, the owner of Sulaymaniyah Bakery, adopted it as well. I hope this idea spreads to other bakeries across all of Mosul,” Mohammed stated.
“This experience has been successful, and we took it from our neighbor, Ahmed,” said Mohammed Taher, a worker at Al-Sulaymaniyah Bakery.
