Hard at work: Goh suffers from visual and hearing impairments but is still determined to work as a baker and save some money while he can, to avoid becoming a burden to his family. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
JOHOR BARU: With just one hand, he can ball up the dough for the mooncakes that he had been helping to bake.
Andrew Goh Yi Jie’s movements are so swift that you would not know that he has to deal with vision and hearing problems.
“I used to struggle with my tasks due to my visual impairment, which I have had since I was born,” said Goh, 27.
“A few years ago, I realised there was something wrong with my hearing and got it checked. I now have to wear a hearing aid to help me hear better,” he said in an interview.
Back then, he did not dare tell any of his employers about his visual and hearing issues.
“I was scared of losing my job. It would also affect my chances of getting hired.”
Goh went through a lot in those early years.
“I got scolded at work quite often because I could not keep up or I got the instructions wrong.”
The resilient Goh, who took up a baking course at the age 20 due to his fondness for fresh bread, was always determined to be gainfully employed.
“It is important for me to work and earn a living rather than being a burden to my parents,” he added.
Upon graduating with a certificate in dessert making, he was employed at a bakery but could not retain his job for more than several months at each workplace.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Goh was once again let go from his job, which he had only worked in for a few months.
Rather than feeling dejected, he continued looking for a job until one day in November 2021, a church member told him about a cafe in Taman Molek here that provides training and job opportunities for people with special needs.
“I jumped at the chance to work there and I am glad I did, because my teachers and the volunteers at the cafe were very patient in teaching and guiding me.
“I used to only know how to make bread, but now, I have learned how to make pau (steamed buns) and cook the different fillings for it,” he said.
He said that making steamed buns required different techniques and he could also apply his bread-making skills when kneading the dough for the pau.
He said he enjoys making these buns because he can rely on his sense of touch.
According to Goh, trainees at the cafe were guided by volunteers who made sure the measurement of ingredients and steps to make the products were accurate.
“I feel satisfied knowing that the bread and steamed buns that I make are served to our customers, especially when they praise the taste,” he said.
He said that he used to dream of opening his own cafe one day to serve pastries and steamed buns.
“I have shelved that ambition because of my condition. Running a business will be too stressful for me to handle.
“With my eyesight deteriorating again recently, I just want to work and save as much money while I still can,” said Goh, who works at the cafe run by non- governmental organisation Pertubuhan Gemilang Istimewa from Mondays to Fridays.
