Wetland Café Where Busking Is Alive:

A Social Enterprise For Physically-Challenged People

Because being disabled does not mean being unable

Physically-challenged people have difficulty finding jobs because far too many employers think that their conditions make it difficult, if not impossible, to do a good job.  While there are some enlightened equal opportunity employers who will employ them despite these problems, they are relatively few.

An alternative solution is to create a social enterprise, i.e., starting a business with the specific intention of creating job opportunities for physically-challenged people.  Wetland Café seeks to create jobs for about ten physically-challenged people.  Staff positions can include manager, cashiers, chefs, kitchen assistants, baristas, ice-cream makers, soda jerks and waitresses.  The café business must be sustainable; hence the business plan and location are important.

The café concept is the wetland theme.  Currently, VNS is using the IntegraCD Wetland to empower low-income families in Asia.

Wetland Café can also create a platform for physically-challenged people to create their incomes.  For example, visually-impaired performers can use the Buskers’ Corner to provide live entertainment.  If the performers prove to be popular, CD of their performances may be sold at the counter, and after deducting the cost of producing and distributing them, the proceeds can go to the performers.  Eventually, the Buskers’ Corner can create income opportunities for as many as fifty talented buskers.  As a non-governmental organization (NGO), VNS wishes to inspire Singaporeans to give generously to buskers.

Should the concept prove successful, the café can be expanded into a chain of stores to provide jobs for more physically-challenged people.

If you’re interested to support this social enterprise, please contact Vision Network Society at enquiries@visionnetwork.org or call Ben Tan at +65 9648 5765.