#Testify! Baker & Women Rights Activist Princess Marelle Fred Shares her Life Story

‘I was born Isabel Marrelle Fred until God renamed me Princess Isabel Marrelle Fred, a daughter of the reigning King Jesus! I was born to Joyce Fred, the first black female Sales Representative in Bulawayo in the then called Rhodesia. I grew up first with my lovely grandparents in Bulawayo, later to join my mother as a stepchild of her newfound marriage. 

Emotional, spiritual, physical and mental abuse were the order of the day for me. I lost all my self-worth and confidence as I was born with a speech impediment. It was tough and rough for my life in every sphere; school, home, church and the business world. 

The effect of the abuse was great that I didn’t like to be me. My speech impediment didn’t help. I couldn’t do anything on my own. I started to fight for my sanity in my mind. It took years. I would stand in front of the mirror and talk to myself. Tell me that I m wonderful and I deserve good things.

It took a long time but I got there. It took me believing that I could do anything. I couldn’t allow anyone into my inner circle. 

I left school after writing my O’level and I passed five. I did my secretarial course, I don’t know why I did it but I did it anyway. I had a lovely baby boy William.

In 2002 I went to hotel school at the Bulawayo Polytechnic. I did professional cookery. I started a business when I left college. I did Samoosas for Shoprite then I got orders for cakes from Creamy Inn. When Choppies bought over the Spar group I continued supplying Samoosas for them as well. OK stores and TM Supermarkets all came on board. I was working from home.

Because I did not have a registered company and was not registered with any of the supermarkets as a supplier, I was asked to stop supplying. My business was totally shut down. I started doing individual orders but to no avail. 

I manufactured detergents but they did not go anywhere in a hurry from home. Then I was diagnosed with an incurable disease. 

I prayed and fasted then God healed me. A New Year’s Eve 2017 come 2018 I prayed at home. Then God answered: Bakers Expos. It was not clear at first what, but as I continued to pray about it the picture became clearer. 

The baker’s Expo is not limited by time, geographical or language. It cuts through gender, race, tribe and nationality. It was given to me by God to empower bakers from all walks of life, to make them realise that they can make a living with the work of their hands.

It is also a platform to raise awareness that success is not only possible but necessary.

I’m also into women empowerment and activism. I witnessed a paradigm shift in my life when I started calling myself by my new name, Princess. It was uphill all the way but I got there. From there I stopped looking at my problems and circumstances. I started helping other women in difficult situations

First I had a woman with an abusive husband. I walked her through the separation from the abusive man. Because she was dependent on him financially, I knew that she would go back to him if she didn’t do anything with her hands. I then taught her how to be a baker. She now has a tuck shop.

This went on for four years one woman at a time until my neighbourhood knew I would help women. I had a bakery school for abused women. My greatest success was when I had a sex worker come out of her line of work, receive Christ as her Lord and Saviour, get married and raise a happy family.’