Alicia Polak (center) didn’t want to just give money away, she
wanted to create jobs. Nokwanda (left) and Mmhato (right) were
the first Khaya employees.
Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA– Alicia Polak was once a busy
banker, building her fortune on Wall Street in New York City.
She gave it all up to start a cookie company in South Africa,
helping the poorest of the poor learn job skills, feed their
families, and live in dignity.
Polak started the Khaya Cookie Company in 2004. Khaya
(pronounced KAY-ah) means “home” in the Xhosa language.
On April 15, Polak won the Food Network award for being
the “Edible Entrepreneur of the Year.”
“I can’t save the world, but I started the Khaya Cookie
Company because I would like to do my best to make a
difference in the world,” Polak said.
Polak hires women who live in shanties (shacks) in towns full
of poverty and crime. The women are trained for every skill
in the company. They are taught to bake, to work on the
computer, and to speak enough English to take orders.
Employees take field trips to places their cookies are sold.
“When they saw their cookies next to the coffee makers in a
five-star hotel, they beamed with pride. This was the first time
many of the women had ever been to a hotel,” Polak said.
Staff members are encouraged to develop their own recipes,
which instills even more pride in their work.
Polak is now starting Khaya Cookie Companies in poorer
cities in the U.S., such as New Orleans.
“We are very proud of our all-natural, gourmet brownies,”
Polak said. The cookies are organic, meaning they use only
fresh, natural ingredients and no preservatives. These
cookies contain no trans fats, which can be harmful
to 
the heart.
Try one! It only costs $5.25
for one Khaya Nutty
Fudge Brownie,
including shipping.
To see nutritional information
and some amazing food art, go
to: www.rnrk.com/weblinks.html
Alicia Polak (center) didn’t want to just give
money away, she
wanted to create jobs.
Nokwanda (left)
and Mmhato (right) were
the first Khaya employees.
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