Young staff members at Bread of Life Bakery work hard to fill Christmas orders for Beijing. Cao Xinyue, top, an 18-year-old orphan from Henan packs desserts. Chen Hongwen, above, a 23-year-old from Yunnan province is pictured making apple pies. Photos by Cui Meng/ China Daily

US couple's venture gives disabled young orphans training and purpose

Hidden away in Langfang, Hebei province, about 60 kilometers away from China's capital, Bread of Life Bakery is different from the everyday bread house. It is owned and operated by adult orphans, some of whom have physical disabilities.

The brainchild of Americans Keith and Cheryl Wyse, the bakery is a location for young disabled Chinese to learn a trade and earn a wage. The Wyses moved to China in 2002 because they were interested in helping Chinese orphan children.

The Wyses, originally from Ridgeville Corners, Ohio, saw the need for foster care in China after they had adopted four Chinese daughters.

"There were just so many kids," said Cheryl. "We were finding out that not just infants and toddlers that needed help, but the older children. They're going to need help to have a better life."

The bakery actually started unintentionally. The Wyses were invited to bazaars run by expats around the Shunyi area, and the sales of baked goods began.

"We thought, 'What can we do to create a little income and also have awareness with what we're doing with orphan care'," said Cheryl. "Well my husband said, 'if you were back home you would have a bake sale'."

Operating out of their home kitchen at first - taking orders for pies and cakes - the Bread of Life Bakery started. In 2005 the Bakery was established in brand-new premises with donated kitchenware. It was built with wheelchair and orthopedic-walker accessibility in mind.

The young adults who are solely responsible for running the bakery were at one time the Wyses' foster children. Guo Shishi, who is 19 years old, works at the bakery counter and takes orders. She spent about three years under the Wyse's care.

"We joined Cheryl when she visited our orphanage, she said she wanted to help us," said Guo Shishi. "We started with education and then when the bakery started, the older children such as myself started working in the bakery."

The children are able to take care of themselves, and through the bakery the Wyses hope the now-adult children learn a trade, and other life lessons, and that they might one day join society and the work force.

"So far not any of them have left us," said Cheryl Wyse. "We're hoping in the future they will go and work for a business. Knowing that they have the training from a foreigner will get them a better job, not because of their disabilities but because of their training."

The bakery uses high quality goods often imported by friends and volunteers, to produce baked goods that are not readily available even in specialty stores, from red-velvet cake, upside-down caramel apple pie, to cinnamon rolls. The Bakery also makes different fruit pies depending on the season.

Revenue from the bakery cover the costs of making the goods, and pay the wages of the young bakers. Extra proceeds go towards the purchases of medication to help the children still in foster care. The bakery tries twice a year to give the foster children financial aid for medication.

With business growing, the young bakers are growing more accustomed to working. Because the shop is not near any major cities, most sales come from Beijing through online orders (www.breadoflifebakery.org). Delivery happens about twice a week, depending on the amount of orders received, but because of the holiday season Guo and the bakers see an increase in orders and trips to the city.

"Business is good, it's real good," Guo said. "Working in the bakery is good; it's just getting better and better."

The prices are also very competitive, and the whole package draws praise from their customers.

"I really think they're really, really amazing people," said Alexandra Wilawan, an Australian homemaker in Beijing. "It's a great thing to support, they are doing something really wonderful for disabled children."

Wilawan is one of Bread of Life's oldest customers and continues to patronize the bakery, not just for the worthy cause but because of how delicious the food is.

"You know originally I thought I would buy their goods because it was for the great things they do," Wilawan said. "But I continue to buy their products because their food is really delicious - it's great quality."

China Daily

(China Daily 12/26/2010 page5)