A Somerset West potter has stepped forward with an extraordinary gesture of community support, crafting a stunning ceramic masterpiece to help five employees of Weirdough Bakery and Deli at Lion’s Square shopping centre realise their hopes of visiting Argentina.
Renowned potter Debbie Farnaby has created a symbolic masterpiece to help raise funds for what would be a once-in-a-lifetime cultural exchange trip.
Debbie and the neighbouring business The Potters Place have maintained a close friendship with Weirdough since its establishment. “The staff are caring and kind and deliver coffee to the pottery studio whilst we are working, sharing a laugh with us and supporting our exhibitions – just good friends and neighbours,” she explains.
“I hope the pot makes people smile, I hope that it enables the trip and that they have a fantastic experience. I have made it for them with love, joy and in recognition that they make my day better when they walk through the door with a really great cup of coffee.”
As a passionate believer in travel’s transformative power, Debbie sees this initiative as a chance for staff to create unforgettable memories. “I love to create – actually I need to create, and so to do what I love and achieve a positive result whilst having fun is the best!”
Her impressive 60 cm-high ceramic world map, adorned with five baker figurines, required three months using the ancient Sumerian coiling technique. “Clay cannot be rushed – it takes its time settling into a shape,” she explains.
The meticulous process involved layering terracotta clay to create two 40 cm bowls, then joining them together. Working from a world map, she carved continents into black slip, using terracotta for mountains and white slip for reefs and snowy regions. A red circle highlights Argentina as the destination from South Africa, while five whimsical coffee-cup-holding figures represent the bakery staff.
Weirdough, an award-winning bakery bringing authentic Argentine flavours to Somerset West, reflects owners Nadia and Adrian Kaiser’s dual heritage. “I lived in Argentina for 12 years, my husband Adrian was born and raised there. Our oldest son was born there as well,” Nadia explains.
“We identify as neither South African nor Argentine. We are a combination of both.”
Their motivation for sending employees to Argentina stems from two factors. “We’ve always felt there was a gap between people wanting to experience Argentine culture and what you can learn from books. To experience them firsthand is first prize,” she explains.
More importantly, Nadia views employees as family. “All the guys that work with us are like family. We wanted to give them the possibility to travel to see another part of the world.”
For most staff, except one who flew to Durban, this would be their first time on an aeroplane and outside South Africa. “Almost all of them come from low-income backgrounds and would rarely get this opportunity.”
The travelling team comprises head baker Sibongile Nerwande, assistant baker Siyamthanda Mazwi, and front-of-house staff Jade Julies, Vuyo Tambani and Finn Ssengendo. Jade, who has worked with the Kaisers since opening, expressed overwhelming excitement.
“When Nadia told us about the trip, I was stoked. I was overwhelmed and excited; my heart was beating fast. I already started brainstorming my whole trip.”
For her first international experience, she’s eager to explore Argentine culture, food, tango and street dance. “This trip is about making memories, unwinding, exploring new vibes and making stories to tell,” she shares.
The initiative has also inspired personal development: “I’ve been working smarter and not harder, refresh of mindset.”
Despite having numerous fundraising initiatives planned, Nadia admits timing has been challenging. “We are a small team and we just opened a second location at Waterstone Village, which means our production requirements have basically doubled. We’re working very long hours, very long shifts, and my husband and I are actively working as well,” she explains.
Nevertheless, they’ve organised several innovative fundraising approaches, including an online crowdfunding campaign.
The goal is September travel, requiring funds to be raised by July. “Our goal is to send them in spring, so September. December holidays are very expensive on that side and it’s also extremely hot, so we’re hoping to aim for September – that’s the best time to go.”
Nadia demonstrates absolute commitment to making this dream reality:
“We did speak within our team that worst-case scenario, we’ll look at how much we’ve raised up until that point and pull a name out of a hat or draw straws in a fair way. We’re hoping it’s all of them, but if it’s only a few, we’ll take that as well.”
As of Tuesday morning (17 March) the Weirdough team had raised just under R17 000 toward their R282 000 target on the Back-a-Buddy platform.
Every contribution, no matter the size, brings these deserving staff members closer to their first international adventure.
To support the life-changing cultural exchange initiative, visit: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/argentina-2026-weirdough-bakery-team.
