One day soon, Srisopha Meerod expects to fulfil her dream of complete independence, with a home of her own and a future that does not rely on others. She imagines a kinder world where people respect her skills and capabilities.
Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn tours the shop on the day she presided over the bakery’s opening on Dec 11. The number 60 in the name is in recognition of the princess. photo supplied by the Social Development and Human Security Ministry
Six years ago, Ms Srisopha, or Cat as she likes to be called, was well on the way to that dream. Through more than 20 years as a salaried office worker, she scrimped and saved to buy land and secure a loan to build a house.
Then her world collapsed. She was hit by a paralysis which caused permanent weakness in her left arm and leg.
Her condition worsened and she slipped into a coma. Three minutes of oxygen deprivation left her in a vegetative state. Luckily, she was able to regain consciousness and she gradually recovered, although the partial paralysis remains with her.
People said she would never walk or work again. She was determined to prove them wrong.
After six years of convalescence, she has regained some of her strength and can walk with a degree of agility. Her memory is also coming back.
But returning to the real world was proving problematic, with a series of job rejections that soured the 42-year-old's rehabilitation and left her wondering how she would survive.
Cat, who graduated from Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University with a management degree, sent out many job applications. Most firms did not bother to reply, while for many others, she did not get past the initial interview stage.
60 Plus Bakery by Yamazaki & APCD stands out at the Rajvithi Home for Girls in the Ratchathewi district of Bangkok. Panupong Changchai
Without work, she would not be able to fend for herself and get back on her feet again. All she had was a meagre allowance of 2,000 baht from the social security fund, plus 800 baht of government assistance money for people with disabilities.
Cat’s disability was clear to job interviewers. The sight of the short calipers on her ankle and calf, which help her to walk better, were to blame for the job rejections, she felt. But without these aids, she would have to drag her feet and risk collapsing.
“They asked me what my weakness was. I responded that I might have to do things a little more slowly, but I’m driven to doubling my efforts,” Cat said.
Time passed, and trying to secure a job became a daunting task.
Then along came a large bakery chain which was offering jobs for the disabled. 60 Plus Bakery by Yamazaki & Asia-Pacific Development Centre on Disability (APCD) contacted her, asking her if she wanted to join other disabled people. She jumped at the chance. “When I knew I had a job, I was extremely happy. It seems like a glowing light that dimmed my despair.”
Disabled people registered with the Social Development and Human Security Ministry have their details passed on to potential employers. The bakery is one such company.
Cat says the work is recognition of the fact that she is still a valuable employee, and it proves it to those who might think otherwise of the disabled.
She underwent basic bakery training at the shop, which is located in the Rajvithi Home for Girls in the Ratchathewi district of Bangkok. It is supervised by the Social Development and Human Security Ministry.
All of the workers - from bakers to cashiers - are all people with disabilities.
Cat says the staff at the shop - which comes under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities - help each other to keep the production line rolling along.
The shop was established with the help of several organisations, including the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, the Japanese Embassy, Thai Yamazaki Co and the APCD.
Duangnarumol Doktak, APCD's information manager, said the bakery proves that people with disabilities have tremendous potential. Everyone who is capable of working needs the opportunity to make something of themselves, she said.
At the shop, the employees work behind a glass panel to let customers see how they go about baking. Each staff member brings along certain skills, but if they cannot do something, their friends lend a hand, Ms Duangnarumol said.
At times they need to undertake some tasks as a team. But in every other respect they have done well to adjust to their daily assignments. The bakery's backers, she said, believe everyone deserves a chance to be educated and trained in customer services and technology, which can be a conscience raiser for able-bodied people to understand their potential.
For example, Thananya “Jub Jaeng” Wanprasert, a 31-year-old who is autistic, is skilled in handling routine tasks such as folding baking sheets for croissants and following the system.
“We asked Yamazaki to send us their staff to train our workers and to make sure that the bakery is fresh and delicious, in keeping with the company’s standards,” Ms Duangnarumol said.
The workers sometimes rotate duties. When manning the front counter and the customer area, Jub Jaeng said she has to ensure the shop is kept clean and to introduce customers to the products.
“Hot bread fresh out of the oven is now ready to serve,” she calls out as she puts her touting skills to the test.
Jub Jaeng’s mother, Wanee, said her daughter normally likes to keep to herself, but the bakery job has cheered her up immensely. Her hands had become much stronger from kneading dough every day. Ms Wanee said she welcomed the new, brighter development in her daughter's life.
Jub Jaeng was only able to finish Prathom 6 (sixth grade) since the primary school she attended had a very limited quota for students with disabilities, and she could not afford to send her daughter to a private school.
Anik “Sato” Mekpattanakij, 21, who also is autistic, attends the front counter. He says he has had no problems with working at the bakery and always follows orders because he is dedicated to his work. He said he wants to save money to buy a new house and a car for his father.
The shop also employs two deaf staff members, Jeab, 36, and Jum, 37. Although they cannot hear or speak, they can read customers’ lips and write a message back to them. Regular customers know about the bakery from word of mouth.
Both say they love working at the shop as everyone treats each other like brothers and sisters.
The expenses of running the shop are paid by the empowerment department, which sets aside a portion of the revenue for staff salaries.
Department director-general Somchai Charoen-umnuaisuke said the shop carries a message that disabled people are not a burden on society. It is a place where they can learn how to run a bakery and create a career for themselves.
The department is ready to extend an interest-free loan of up to 40,000 baht to disabled people to open their own shops, he said. However, the agency may consider lifting the ceiling to 60,000 baht with a five-year repayment, he said.
As for the origin of 60 Plus bakery shop, Ms Duangnarumol said APCD was assigned by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Escap) to work with private companies on a campaign to support the employment of disabled people.
The project also marked the 60th birthday of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, whose priorities are focused on developing the quality of life of the disabled. The number 60 prefix in the programme’s name is a tribute to the princess.
She said APCD opted for a bakery as it is a business which does not require hard physical labour.
APCD general manager Ryuhei Sano wrote to Yamazaki in Japan to seek its support for the project.
The project draws people with all manner of disabilities but who are physically able to work. Some part time staff are from the Setsatian School for the Deaf and some from a club of parents who take care of their autistic children. She said the organisation had contacted more than 300 people in the disabled-person's database and many were interested in a bakery job.
Most disabled people feel withdrawn from society, so it is important to give them hope to fight, she said. This enables them to live side by side with the able-bodied.
“What these people in the 60 Plus shop have done is prove they can do it,” Ms Duangnarumol said. “This builds up aspirations and confidence among parents and their disabled children that every single person has the potential to work.”
Most staff at the shop are people with disabilities or autism. They work hard and are highly motivated. Panupong Changchai
The staff are trained to bake to exacting standards, and produce a variety of pastries and breads. They also work as front counter staff and cashiers. (Photos by Panupong Changchai)