“I still can’t believe it is true. It’slike a dream,” Tam – an old woman said, her eyes shimmering with tearswhile recalling the very first time her grandson, Nguyen Nhat Trung Anhcame out to work as a waiter at a coffee shop.
Tam became speechless trying to talk about her indescribable joy thefirst time she saw her grandson, suffering from Down’s syndrome, carrya tray of drinks to a customer and not forgetting to say “please have adrink, uncle.”
Just like other workmates who have mental disabilities such as Down’ssyndrome and autism, Trung Anh was taught to communicate and practicedwhat he has learnt by paying waiter service at a coffee shop, “HumanityCoffee”, lying on a small corner at the end of Nhan Hoa street, ThanhXuan district.
The coffee shop was opened in 2007 by Sao Mai - a centre forcounselling, early detection and care for mentally disabled children.Sao Mai creates opportunities for the children to access education andtraining in communication skills and to integrate into the community.
According to Do Thuy Lan, the centre’s Director, children afflictedwith mental diseases have very limited life and communications skills.Therefore, there is an urgent need for compassion and the sharing ofresponsibility among families and society so as to help thesechildren’s lead normal lives, she said.
Here at “Humanity Coffee”, the children do things that they could notdo without training: greeting customers, talking with them, waiting ontables, cleaning up the shop and making simple drinks.
Customers, some living far away from the place, come to the shop toenjoy coffee and talk with the children, which Lan said, is the bestteaching method for those with mental disabilities.
Vu Chi Thanh – an officer at the Thanh Xuan people’s committee and alsoa regular visitor to the shop – said he treats the children like hewould any others, and wants to be able to do more to help them become ameaningful part of the community.
Aside from the coffee shop, the Sao Mai centre is working on an aquaticfarming project, which will help children with mental disabilitieslearn how to work with their hands and learn the value of labour./.
Tam became speechless trying to talk about her indescribable joy thefirst time she saw her grandson, suffering from Down’s syndrome, carrya tray of drinks to a customer and not forgetting to say “please have adrink, uncle.”
Just like other workmates who have mental disabilities such as Down’ssyndrome and autism, Trung Anh was taught to communicate and practicedwhat he has learnt by paying waiter service at a coffee shop, “HumanityCoffee”, lying on a small corner at the end of Nhan Hoa street, ThanhXuan district.
The coffee shop was opened in 2007 by Sao Mai - a centre forcounselling, early detection and care for mentally disabled children.Sao Mai creates opportunities for the children to access education andtraining in communication skills and to integrate into the community.
According to Do Thuy Lan, the centre’s Director, children afflictedwith mental diseases have very limited life and communications skills.Therefore, there is an urgent need for compassion and the sharing ofresponsibility among families and society so as to help thesechildren’s lead normal lives, she said.
Here at “Humanity Coffee”, the children do things that they could notdo without training: greeting customers, talking with them, waiting ontables, cleaning up the shop and making simple drinks.
Customers, some living far away from the place, come to the shop toenjoy coffee and talk with the children, which Lan said, is the bestteaching method for those with mental disabilities.
Vu Chi Thanh – an officer at the Thanh Xuan people’s committee and alsoa regular visitor to the shop – said he treats the children like hewould any others, and wants to be able to do more to help them become ameaningful part of the community.
Aside from the coffee shop, the Sao Mai centre is working on an aquaticfarming project, which will help children with mental disabilitieslearn how to work with their hands and learn the value of labour./.
