Project Dignity

23/12

Todays mark the end of lessons for Batch 1 and individually they have a small test. Every one of the student has to cook a dish as a final assignment. The kitchen was frantic and the examiner is a very tough one who has spend the last four weeks working with the individual students. frankly I was quite surprise what they have come up with for their examination piece. It was good fun.

Siting in one corner is someone who has been visiting Dignity Kitchen for the past two weeks. he will come to sit in one corner and just stare. After a few time I got to notice him. "I want to join the school." said the man in his late forties."I can cook and I want to be a hawker" iWe got talking and I discover that he suffer from OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). He has been out of work for ten years. I did not know what OCD was and what was his disability.

Today is Christmas Eve and it is a tough decision whether to enrol him or not. The thought of Dicken's Christmas Carol came to mind. The man took out his medicine box and by the look of it has not been clean since he bought it. There was something like 7 - 8 tablets and pills in each compartment marked with the day of the weeks. "When I took my medicine I an alright for 6 to 7 hours. Please." He requested."I need the work."

Time for consultation. I called two doctor friends and a head nurse. The action was for him to produce a doctor certificate that he is able to work in a hawker stall.....

In the evening we will close the account and also clear the remaining food for the day. The leftover food is either given it to the cleaning staff or transport to a nearly elderly home. Tonight we went to a new elderly and was told that there is a policy in the home that does not received food for fear of food poisoning. Went to another home and they accepted wholeheartedly. Another home was even more interesting, they were selective on what we give them. Only the kueh but not the sandwiches.

27/12

First of several interviews for student placement. The hearing impaired preferred to leave as hawker not for him. It is fair as he has worked hard and know what he does not like to do. He find the heat tough to bear and we are happy for him. The job opportunity include manning a stall in Burlington Square. The other hearing impaired does not work shift and turn down an offer from Kopitiam not keen. The elderly got a job and very happy. He will be going to work for Wendy's

28/12

Just realize I make a mistake of letting go early and there s no students to ensure the food quality is in place . What a mistake. It will be a while to train someone....

30/12

We got our first delivery order today for 100 packet for old folks home. This is another revenue model. It was not easy to persuade anyone to give us a home delivery. We explain that in our lunch treat only a certain number can enjoyed our food. There are those who cannot come for various reasons and it will be great if we can deliver to them. Our first delivery.

Project Dignity

21/12

Children has always been my passion and I come to realise that most of our children do not get to interact with disabled people. One incident which happens when I first started Dignity Kitchen was to find a group of young girls standing in front of my blind cashier giggling away and another incident of a boy staring at the my polio man as he was walking and when the polio man slip and fall, the boy ran away. I guess this has to do with the lack of exposure and interaction and that is where the idea come to start a program called "Children working with the Disabled"

Today we had out first launch of "Children working with the Disabled" We worked with an organisation called Janus Education, who groom young children to be writers. The company managed to get about 16 children of various age and what we do is to allow them to interact with the disabled in four work stations.

Station 1 - singing with sign language with the hearing impaired

Station 2 - making spring roll with the physical handicap

Station 3 - dessert decoration with the intellectually challenged

Station 4 - braille math challenge with the visually impaired

The children will go from one station to another, performing various tasks with the disabled at the same time interacting with the disabled. The program ends with lunch for the children with the disabled.

Today also see several newspaper coming over to visit and interview our students. This is great. We need the publicity.

"If the children of today learn to interact with the disabled, the adult of tomorrow will be comfortable working with the disabled"

Project Dignity

14/12

The success of Dignity Kitchen depends on the placement of its students.

The first interview was for the ex-con and the graduate with an Indian Restaurant, that did not turn out well as the expectation between the restaurant and the candidate is very far part, taking into consideration the student's background. At the end of the week, the two students got a trial period with one of the integrated resort in Singapore and we hope they settle and stay with the job.

For the unemployed and two hearing impaired, came the opportunity to start up a food stall in town. The deal was great-the funding is from a company director, Dignity Kitchen will help with the setting up and the start-up get a below market rate rental opportunity. Will leave the decision to the students. The issue here is the hearing impaired, they are not keen.

The Elderly student got an interview with Wendy's Fast Food restaurant this week and we hope too he gets the job.

We are a school, we are to train people and after training place them but to keep the school running we have to keep some of them. We are keeping Ms Single Mother / Mr Blind / Mr Cancer / Ms Partial Blind / Mr Polio

For the school to find job opportunity for the students is not difficult, the difficulty is managing the student's expectation. For people to have been out of work for some time you would have expect them to take the first job that comes along. This is not generally the case. They have either financial expectation that is unrealistic or the job scope does not meet with their status or outlook. I guess sometime is a question of how desperate you want the job.

15/12

Three of the most common statement I come across in the last few months are

"Why you do it?"

"Are you christian?"

"You must be rich"

As for the answers .....

After my answer if I do try to explain and their response is always the same...."You will go to heaven" :-)

18/12

Today a lady from Hong Kong propose the setting up of Dignity Kitchen in China.

When a concept is simple and practical, I believe people will buy into them. In history they are many such instances like fast food, instant noodle etc. I guess the concept of a hawker school for disabled is one of them.

The proposal is to build another version of Dignity Kitchen in Dongguan in South China but sponsor by Hong Kongers. I am keen as it is always been my vision to have the school in three countries in five years and Hong Kong is one of them (personal reason)