The Macau Association of Parents of the Mentally Handicapped opened its first supermarket Wednesday in which the group aims to provide job training for disabled people so that they are able to find a job in a commercially run supermarket easier after they have completed two years training.
Ho Wong Fong, supervisor of the association who is the person in charge the supermarket, made the remarks to the media – the first day the supermarket began operations.
The supermarket named “Rainbow House” is located in Rua Cinco do Barirro da Areia Preta.
According to Ho, the group originally planned to a set up a social enterprise –a supermarket –operating with financial support from the government so that job opportunities would be available for its members but the proposal was rejected.
“Thus we are opening the supermarket, which aims to provide job training for our members … the supermarket is operated as a normal supermarket which includes posts such as cashiers and shelf fillers. As there are more supermarkets around nowadays, after two years training I believe it will be easier for them to find a job in a [commercially rub] supermarket,” Ho told The Macau Post Daily, adding that there were 21 members currently receiving training in how to be a cashier and learn how to stock the shelves.
“During the two-year training period, we’ll teach how work as a cashier, shelf filler, storeroom organiser and cleaners in a supermarket,” Ho said, adding that when seeing that the trainees are capable of working in a commercially operated supermarket the association will assist them to find a job.
According to Ho, each trainee needs to work for eight hours a day and is paid 1,500 patacas per month.
“The government’s subsidy covers 70 percent of the operational costs of the supermarket while the remainder is covered through fundraising,” Ho said, adding the group still wants to run a supermarket as a social enterprise which he believes would provide its members with more job opportunities.
Ho also said that the due to the fact that the supermarket is quite small it will be quite hard to compete with other supermarkets in the city.
He said the association was planning to offer more services including delivering goods to schools and associations.
The supermarket opens from 9 a .m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. The association urges residents to buy goods there so that the trainees have the opportunity to hone their skills.(macaunews)
