Nestled in the Museum of the War of Resistance & Coastal Defence, Madam Hong Cafe enjoys the spectacular views of Shau Kei Wan and Lei Yue Mun. In addition to rejoicing in the views and delicious food here, customers can also show their support for people with disabilities.
Warm hospitality
The cafe is run by a social enterprise and is one of the projects subsidised by the Social Welfare Department’s Enhancing Employment of People with Disabilities through Small Enterprise Project (3E Project). It aims to provide an inclusive working environment for those with disabilities, so as to enhance their self-confidence.
There are more than 30 staff members in the cafe and about 60% of them are persons with disabilities. Albert is one of them. He has been working at enterprises of the Fu Hong Society for six years and joined Madam Hong Cafe as a waiter about three years ago.
Albert speaks English and Putonghua fluently and a little bit of French. He often recommends food to customers, even foreign visitors. To him, the most challenging part of the job is to handle complaints. He also shared his experience of encountering situations when children get too excited and romp about in the cafe. “My secret trick is to approach them with a big smile and remind them softly to be careful.”
Employee empowerment
The cafe’s supervisor Bobo Lau described Albert as a conscientious worker who is very attentive to the customers.
Ms Lau said one of the reasons why it is not easy for people with disabilities to find a job is that many employers do not understand their needs. For example, people with disabilities need repeated guidance, encouragement and appreciation from others.
“Moreover, some of them cannot work long hours. As such, I adjusted the duration of work shifts and assigned work according to their strengths so that each employee can give full play to their strengths.”
Promoting equality
The Social Welfare Department launched the 3E Project in 2001 with the aim of enhancing the employment of persons with disabilities through a market-driven approach and direct creation of more work opportunities. The project provides funding support to non-governmental organisations in setting up small enterprises or businesses to ensure people with disabilities can enjoy an inclusive working environment.
The grant’s maximum amount is $3 million per application and at least half of the employees must be persons with disabilities.
Enhancement measures were introduced in 2019 to provide further support. This includes additional funding for salary expenses for one employee in the preparatory stage and an extending funding support for salary expenses of employees with disabilities immediately after the funding period is over.
As at the end of January 2025, a total grant of over $175 million was approved to set up around 140 businesses of different types, including retail, food and beverage as well as car wash and car care services. Approximately 1,430 jobs have been created and about 70% of them are especially for persons with disabilities.
Social Welfare Department Senior Executive Officer (Marketing Consultancy) Christine Ngan noted that the objective of the Government’s rehabilitation policy is to help persons with disabilities to develop their physical, mental and social capabilities to the fullest extent, and to encourage them to integrate into the community. It also aims to acknowledge the equal rights of those with disabilities as members of the community.
She said: ”Through the 3E Project, the Government aims to enhance the public understanding of the capabilities of persons with disabilities and encourage more employers to engage them. These will help them achieve self-reliance and integrate into the community.”
