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Danny Mun and Cindy Xin from Bread of Life Bakery. The project is a labor of love for Danny who is a non-paid volunteer. For Cindy, working at the bakery gave her confidence and a bright future. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]
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A non-profit bakery is making life sweeter for young disabled orphans growing up in China.
Bread of Life Bakery was set up in 2008 in Langfang, Hebei province, by American couple Keith and Cheryl Wyse. While running an orphanage for disabled children, the couple found the kids would become restless as they got older.
And so the idea of the bakery was born. Its vision is to provide life-skills and independence for these young adults. Currently, it provides work for four women between the ages of 20-26.
Danny Mun moved from New York to manage the bakery as a volunteer. He was recently at Beijing's Environment and Sustainability Fair to promote the charity.
"It's an unfortunate reality that not all foster homes can adopt out every child that they have," he explains.
"They [the older orphans] needed some independence and they needed to be seen differently, so Keith and Cheryl were able to start the Bread of Life Bakery."
One of these women is 21-year-old Cindy Xin. Proudly standing behind her freshly baked breads and cakes, Xin says life was hard for her as an orphan.
When she was 16 she moved from an orphanage in Zhengzhou to stay with Keith and Cheryl and help out in the bakery. She now works there full time as a pastry chef.
She says making the move was difficult at first.
"I didn't have a good time, I was quite introverted and I didn't want to talk with anyone."
But things soon got easier.
"Staff spent a lot of time to help me build my confidence. We are good friends now," says Xin.
The charity's website states it's not just about providing work for these orphans but "giving them the necessary tools to prepare them for a life of independence."
Mun was introduced to Keith and Cheryl in 2011 through friends. At the time the Wyses' were looking for someone to manage the bakery and his friends said: " 'Danny would be great for this,'" says Mun.
After a four month apprenticeship at a bakery in Brooklyn, NY, he made the move to China.
Meanwhile, when Xin's not baking delicious breads and cakes, she also likes to volunteer at the orphanage.
The bakery's goal is to provide China with the "best Western baked goods around."
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