Restaurant workers offered ray of hope

Horrific accident

Du Chuanwang, a waiter who joined Trojan Fairy in 2019, has worn a mask every day while serving food－not because of the pandemic, but to avoid diners seeing his face.

Born in 1999 in Shandong province, Du was involved in an accident in 2012 during a prank with two mechanics using an air pump.

The incident left him with horrific injuries to his internal organs and nose. It happened after Du dropped out of school at age 13 and was sent by his father to work as an apprentice at an auto repair shop.

Du was sent to the hospital with injuries to his intestines, bleeding to the stomach, and weakened liver function. He was later transferred to a hospital in Beijing for further treatment.

His life was saved, but the accident left him with weakened immunity and unable to chew and digest solid food. He also lost his nose and surgeons had to create a new one by using skin taken from his forehead.

Du's case was taken up by the Beijing AngelMom Charity Foundation, which has been looking after him.

Before joining Trojan Fairy, Du worked at an orchard for a short time with others who had been injured in accidents.

In December 2018, Du's guardian dined at Trojan Fairy, where he was surprised to find that many workers with disabilities were able to take up such work, rather than being placed in employment by welfare agencies. The guardian contacted Yu, the founder, to ask if his charge could work for the business.

Yu met Du the following month, and remembers the day well, as the potential recruit was wearing a dirty, thin cotton jacket designed for a woman. Du was also shy, kept his head low and refused to talk to others.

When Yu took him to the kitchen to seek the views of other workers, they all said Du should stay, as it would be good for him to learn a skill and earn his own living.

As a result, Du joined the eatery, where along with able-bodied staff members, he is not only paid but has free meals, accommodations and insurance cover.

However, a week after Du arrived, the head chef's girlfriend went to the restaurant. Frightened by Du's appearance, she reacted violently. Her boyfriend then approached Yu and told her he would quit if Du remained at the business.

Yu said: "The head chef had been with us for more than nine years. If he left, I thought the business would collapse.

"But Du didn't do anything wrong. I consulted everyone and they said there was no problem. If I had asked him to leave, it would have caused him more harm."

The head chef ended up leaving, and his job was taken by the sous chef, who began to teach Du kitchen skills.

Du cherished his job. He was initially slow, but worked hard and can now perform many tasks, such as making salads, searing steaks and even baking.

The friendly working atmosphere at the restaurant has also made him more outgoing. Although still shy with strangers, he now jokes with people he knows well.

In December, the AngelMom Foundation wrote an article on the progress made by Du since he joined Trojan Fairy.

"Weakness was no reason for him to give up developing. Du has grown into a very good cook. Before, it was Trojan Fairy who sheltered him. Now, it is Du who contributes to Trojan Fairy," the article stated.

The future

The restaurant now has five employees. In addition to Zhou and Du, it has hired Xinyu, who has mental difficulties, Chenchen, an orphan who is visually impaired, and an able-bodied worker surnamed Wang.

Although she stammers, Xinyu, who is in her 30s and joined the restaurant about two years ago, said this is her first steady job and she feels happy working there.

At first, she often broke glasses, but has since become familiar with all her duties and has learned to make drinks and ice cream.

Yu said: "My goal in setting up this restaurant is to train employees and help them integrate socially. My principle is to offer help, but I won't offer assistance that weakens abilities.

"What they need more than anything is to be involved in social activities, not to remain in welfare institutions.

"China has a large population with disabilities. We may experience some physical inconvenience at some stage in our lives. How we see and treat those in wheelchairs today will be reflected in the way others treat us in the future. This affects everyone."