[wonderful boss] train blind people to be baristas and join the five-star hotel group

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As soon as I walked into the Cocoa Lab in Chai Wan Youth Square, a smell of coffee came to my nostrils. This small Caf é is simple and neatly decorated. In particular, the two baristas in the store are visually impaired, and their eyesight is only 3% and 5%, respectively. Occasionally they may see light and shadow, but most of the time, their world is pitch dark. The whole Caf é coffee is made by them, and its founder, Roland, plans to turn the store into a training center for visually impaired baristas. For visually impaired baristas who have completed their training, they "pick up" to join the five-star hotel group, hoping to change the public's impression that visually impaired people can only be masseurs.

The coffee made by Benny, a visually impaired barista, may be full, wait a little longer, and have no flower pattern, but in addition to the aroma of the coffee, it is also a little more human.

The diagnosis of eye disease at the age of 10 changed from a salesperson in a famous store to a barista.

Benny, 28, has worked at Cocoa Lab for nearly nine months. At the age of 10, he was diagnosed with rare hereditary retinitis pigmentosa, which made his vision deteriorate until he became completely blind. Since then, his world from color, slowly leaving only gray and black, until recently even occasionally see the figure. Although he could not see his hands and predicted that he would be completely blind one day, this did not hinder his determination to try and explore everywhere. Benny once worked as a shop assistant and activity assistant in a famous store. Due to the limitation of his eyesight, he decided to learn a trade, so he joined the ranks of baristas.

The eye is clear and the weight of judgment is an obstacle.

In 2015, Benny entered the profession through a training course for visually impaired baristas and has since worked in different coffee shops. Benny believes that the most difficult thing for the visually impaired to make coffee is to master the quantity. "it is very important for us to pour the milk into the milk pot and heat it and bubble it with a milk gun. However, due to the lack of clarity, I spilled the coffee many times when I first joined the job, but after repeated practice, I have now learned to judge the amount of coffee by its weight. "

Cocoa Lab founder Roland (right) hopes to turn the store into a training center for visually impaired baristas to pave the way for qualified visually impaired baristas to join a five-star hotel group, so as to improve the employment problem of the visually impaired in the long run.

Train visually impaired baristas to pave the way into a five-star group

Most people's impression of the visually impaired is that they can only engage in massage, phone calls, and so on. Roland admitted that he had struggled when he first hired Benny. "when Benny joined, the most job the manager did was to order new cups because he broke them." But in the end, I found out that he was really talented in making coffee. Except that he can't pull flowers, the coffee he brews is the same as that made by normal employees. "

Because of the successful example of Benny, Roland is determined to assist more people with visual impairment. "in our small social enterprise, hiring two visually impaired baristas can only help two people, not much, so I try to find other employers outside, hoping to improve the employment problem of the visually impaired and even the disabled." In order to help more visually impaired people, Roland decided to turn Cocoa Lab into a training center for visually impaired baristas. "I hope to hire different visually impaired people, provide them with on-the-job training, and find a suitable employer for him when he becomes a qualified barista. A new job is currently being arranged for Benny. "

Recently, Roland even reached an agreement with a five-star hotel group in Hong Kong to hire visually impaired baristas trained by Cocoa Lab. Roland said that in the long run, it is hoped that life can affect life. "when helping the visually impaired to solve the employment problem, it will not only improve their income, but also improve the impression of them in the community as a whole, so that they can become self-reliant and enhance their self-esteem."

With the rapid pace of life in Hong Kong, stopping to drink coffee has become a luxury. Roland believes that as long as each of us is willing to give a little more time, we can change the life of a visually impaired person. "it doesn't matter if the coffee doesn't have flowers, or sometimes it's a little full, and it doesn't matter if you wait a little longer, because this cup of coffee made by the visually impaired is definitely worth drinking."

Urban people live a busy life, are you willing to stop and give the visually impaired a chance?