Sponser a young baker! The Majestic Vine Bakery, Good Rock's latest project.

Sponsor a Young Baker! Ten pounds a month will support our young bakers as we set up our first social enterprise, The Majestic Vine Bakery! We plan for this project to be sustainable in 2 years so the sponsorship is temporary. Your support will help us to train our young bakers and provide tools and training for their vocation.

Just one year ago the concept of creating a unique business project for young adult orphans was waking me up at night. I had recently visited a new build project that was to be a State group home for young adult disabled orphans who could no longer be fostered. In a number of foster families the parents were feeling the onset of age and the pressure of taking care of the boy or girl that had lived with them from childhood. Across China a new policy called Blue Sky is being rolled out to begin to address the reality that there are foster parents who having fostered disabled children, cannot take care of them as adults. The group home build looked promising enough physically with large grounds and a pleasant apartment layout. However, provision needed to be made to fill the days of these young people. And not just, to while away time. I keenly felt that these young people needed to do something meaningful. I know many of them personally and am always struck by their potential. Some of them have been coming to our day centre (Spread Their Wings) and have enjoyed the comraderie of their fellow students as well as having impressed everyone with abilities and gifts tapped into by our living skills training programme.

The idea of a bakery came to me in one of my nighttime wakeful moments immediately becoming clear and I just knew from my heart that our young people would be up to the challenge. Of course, an idea cannot become a reality without a team and we are indeed fortunate to have a China team who are used to my hopes and dreams, getting alongside of me to make them a reality.

Arlette is co-manager of a Café in Urumqi. She is our bakery technician, she knows what tastes good and how to make it that way! Juline is an Occupational Therapist, working with the young people, breaking down all of the baking process and helping make things fun, both of these ladies volunteer their time and expertise. Teacher Li worked in our community day centre for 3 years & has now transferred to our bakery project. She brings experience and has been a recipient of a number of training courses. Experienced in care giving; Teacher Yi is proving to be an excellent addition to our team. Lydia while fulfilling an executive role in Good Rock is currently acting project manager.

From the end of April eight young adult disabled orphans have been coming to the bakery. Initially there was orientation and then training commenced. The bakers have been learning how to produce cookies and banana muffins. The young bakers have responded wonderfully. They have integrated well, are calm, considerate and stay on task. We can already see that they consider the bakery as a place of light in their lives.

We’ve tested the market (staff and visitors!). We are also going to experiment with a local type of bread with sweet and savoury toppings. We are now creating a café area to welcome visitors.

Our young bakers range in age from 16 to 19, all have the challenge of special needs. Xue is deaf, mute and blind. He is a fastidious young man who only needs a little guidance and then he is off, mixing the dough & cutting out cookies. I watched him during a break as he sat quietly in his internal world, the big beam on his face told me that he is happy and fulfilled. Nana has learning difficulties but the job of baking and greeting our visitors comes easily to her. She is a great team player and often encourages the others.

 

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