Serving them well: Trainees preparing food for the cafe operated by the centre in Taman Molek, Johor Baru. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
JOHOR BARU: Like many other food outlets, a cafe in Taman Molek here serves up delicious handmade pau and dishes like nasi lemak, but with a difference.
The food is cooked by people with special needs.
From making pastries and brewing coffee to serving customers and cleaning up the outlet at closing time, the nine who suffer from various learning difficulties such as autism, dyslexia and cognitive impairment are “hands-on” with their tasks.
The cafe, which is part of the Pertubuhan Gemilang Istimewa’s centre for those with special needs, began operating in March as a training ground for them to put their skills to good use and help them get jobs, said co-founder Khor Soo Nee.
“The cafe is not for profit, nor is it solely charity-based. The trainees, under the guidance of 12 teachers, were given the responsibility of producing handmade pau, kuih, bread as well as kampung fried rice, wantan mee, scallion pancakes and chicken curry,” she said.
Khor, who has an early childhood education background, said she and partner Chloe Tew have been running a centre to educate people with special needs as part of their church group in Taman Johor Jaya since 2005.
With the church’s support, they began planning for a new learning facility and cafe to train students in 2019, but the Covid-19 pandemic forced them to put their plans on hold.
“We even took our teachers and the students’ parents to Taiwan to study how they trained and gave opportunities to those with disabilities to help them be independent and earn a living.
“It was only after the pandemic situation improved that we resumed our plans and this January, we opened our learning centre and three months later, the cafe began operating.
“We now have about 50 students learning various subjects like languages and Mathematics as well as skills like woodworking, sewing and baking,” she said, adding that nine trainees gained sufficient skills to be placed at the cafe.
Besides serving food and drinks, Khor said the cafe’s buns and pau were also sold to coffeeshops. Orders were also being received from customers in Singapore.
“The cafe is equipped with a fully functioning kitchen and bakery. We see improvement in the trainees with hands-on practice.
“We hope to branch out into other fields, but we are also facing limitations. We hope more teachers and volunteers will join us,” she said.
Tew said strong support and cooperation from the families were also important as shown by parents who made it a point to be present at the cafe to guide the trainees.
“Some of the parents are really committed and supportive. They learn new recipes and help to teach and guide the trainees.
“We also provide the trainees with a monthly allowance in efforts to educate them about managing their finances. Hopefully, one day, once they are ready, they can enter the workforce and contribute to society as well,” she added.
Lai Chun Fun, 57, whose autistic son is among the trainees working at the cafe, said she saw improvements in him.
“He can now follow instructions better,” she said of her 24-year-old son, who also suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
“His daily tasks include mixing the dough and shaping the pastries after putting in the filling. I can tell that he feels a sense of accomplishment upon seeing the outcome of his hard work.
“My husband and I run a coffeeshop in Taman Daya where we also serve pau made by the trainees and the customers like it,” she added.
The cafe is open from Mondays to Fridays from 8.30am to 3.30pm.
