Disabled people find opportunity through 'Manwa'er'
2023-08-12 17:08:00
By Yan Wanqin, Yichang International Communication Studio
On August 11, "Manwa'er" opened its second outlet in Zhijiang. Compared with its first store which only sells frozen buns, the new location also serves hot drinks, noodles and snacks.
However, what truly makes “Manwa’er” shops unique is their commitment to hiring people with disabilities.
On August 11, "Manwa'er" opened its second outlet in Zhijiang. Compared with its first store which only sells frozen buns, the new location also serves hot drinks, noodles and snacks.
However, what truly makes “Manwa’er” shops unique is their commitment to hiring people with disabilities.
The new outlet of "Manwa'er".Wang Huan, 28, is hard of hearing. He used to study graphic design in Beijing. After returning home at the end of 2022, he went a long time without being able to find a proper job. After being offered the position at Manwa’er, he was able to regain his confidence.
Wang Huan works at the store.
"My life now is full of hope," said Wang.
The founder of Manwa'er is Zhou Yanqing, a teacher at the Yichang Zhijiang Special Education School.
The shop’s chefs are students from the Yichang Zhijiang Special Education School, most of whom are deaf.
The hard of hearing workers produce buns in the kitchen.This special brand has been in the spotlight since its predecessor opened in 2019, but it has not gone without facing challenges. They often ran into difficulty with communication between deaf students and customers.
"Back then, the buns were made to order, and there were many customers in the morning, so it was difficult for the students to meet the demand of customers," Zhou said.
Inevitably, the store's business slowed - the worst day bringing in only 12 yuan (US$1.68). In response to the situation, Zhou taught the students to make raw frozen buns.
Raw frozen buns are made by adding the meat filling to the dough before fermentation, freezing and storing them together, and then steaming them when needed.
In June 2022, the store changed its business model to sell frozen raw buns throughout the day, avoiding the fast-paced breakfast business.
Examples of raw frozen buns in the new outlet.All sectors of Yichang lent a helping hand after hearing their story. Angel Yeast, for example, helped them improve their techniques for free.
To ensure the quality of the buns, all ingredients are sourced from local high-quality products in Zhijiang, which added to the cost. To help them out, Zhijiang Human Resources and Social Security Department gave the store a 5,000 yuan start-up subsidy and a 60,000 yuan annual social security subsidy.
In addition, the local Disabled Persons' Federation has so far invested around 500,000 yuan in employing disabled people in the store. The Hubei Three Gorges Zhijiang Branch of the Agricultural Bank of China gave them a low-interest loan of 200,000 yuan.
Soon the store’s positive reputation spread across Zhijiang and many catering outlets came to purchase the buns.
In the peak season, they sold 100,000 buns a month. The shop’s average monthly wage is 4,000 yuan, with the highest wage reaching 7,000 yuan.
"Each person can make 1,000 steamed buns a day," Zhou said.
As the initiator of the "Manwa'er" brand, Zhou is full of confidence. He hopes to make it a public brand for disabled people in Zhijiang, and continue to give them more job opportunities.
Zhang Dairong, chairman of the Zhijiang Disabled Persons' Federation, said: "We will build a regional public service platform for the disabled people in Yichang. Products grown, bred and produced by families of people with disabilities will be included in the 'Manwa'er' brand.”
They plan to help more than 1,000 disabled people in the next three years, he added.
To ensure the quality of the buns, all ingredients are sourced from local high-quality products in Zhijiang, which added to the cost. To help them out, Zhijiang Human Resources and Social Security Department gave the store a 5,000 yuan start-up subsidy and a 60,000 yuan annual social security subsidy.
In addition, the local Disabled Persons' Federation has so far invested around 500,000 yuan in employing disabled people in the store. The Hubei Three Gorges Zhijiang Branch of the Agricultural Bank of China gave them a low-interest loan of 200,000 yuan.
Soon the store’s positive reputation spread across Zhijiang and many catering outlets came to purchase the buns.
In the peak season, they sold 100,000 buns a month. The shop’s average monthly wage is 4,000 yuan, with the highest wage reaching 7,000 yuan.
"Each person can make 1,000 steamed buns a day," Zhou said.
As the initiator of the "Manwa'er" brand, Zhou is full of confidence. He hopes to make it a public brand for disabled people in Zhijiang, and continue to give them more job opportunities.
Zhang Dairong, chairman of the Zhijiang Disabled Persons' Federation, said: "We will build a regional public service platform for the disabled people in Yichang. Products grown, bred and produced by families of people with disabilities will be included in the 'Manwa'er' brand.”
They plan to help more than 1,000 disabled people in the next three years, he added.
