After being physically disabled, do you live on subsidies for the disabled, or do you rely on hard-working hands to build a career of your own?
Chen Taotao, a disabled person in Wanghong Town, Yongning County, chose the latter, and he partnered with a friend to start a business, hoping to create a better life through struggle.
It was a challenging road, but it was rare that his dream finally became a reality, and he not only became the head of the company, but also turned the factory into a "home for the disabled", providing jobs for many deaf and mute people, and making this special group "shine".
A. Deaf due to illness He was a dancer of "Guanyin with a Thousand Hands".
On July 29th, walking into the production workshop of Ningxia Fuxi Arts and Crafts Processing Co., Ltd., the old village department of Nanfang Village, Wanghong Town, Yongning County, in addition to the roar of the machine and the sound of the wrapping paper, I couldn't hear a word of workers' words, what was going on? It turned out that most of the workers here were deaf-mute disabled people, and this company was co-founded by Chen Taotao, a deaf-mute disabled person, Ren Baofeng, and his friend Liu Ziyuan.
In the open space outside the workshop, Chen Taotao, a post-80s generation, was busy carrying tanning incense products with workers, he worked hard, his face was hot and red, and sweat flowed down his ears.
Seeing someone waving at him, Chen Taotao responded with a warm smile, his eyes overflowing with joy.
Time goes back to Chen Taotao's childhood. When he was two years old, a sudden illness caused him to have a high fever for several days, and when the fever subsided, his parents found that he was not sensitive to sound and did not respond to his speech behind him. The parents panicked and went to the hospital for a check-up, but it was too late, and Chen Taotao has since become a disabled person who has lost his hearing, unable to hear or speak.
Chen Taotao followed his parents to the former Yinchuan Donghuan Wholesale Market to open a small shop. Ren Baofeng, who is in the candle business at home, met him during this period. The two did not expect that 30 years later, their childhood playmates would become future business partners.
In 2003, in view of Chen Taotao's talent for dancing since childhood, his parents sent him to the China Disabled People's Art Troupe for exercise. After professional training, his dancing skills continued to improve, and he stayed in the troupe to participate in the national tour of "Guanyin with a Thousand Hands". The days in the art troupe are bitter and sweet, and the bitter thing is: when there is no performance task, the time is all spent in the practice room, which can be described as "summer practice and winter practice"; The sweet thing is: the day of salary every month, you can take a day off.
In November 2008, after his grandmother passed away, Chen Taotao returned to his hometown to see off his relatives, and then stayed in Yinchuan to find his own way, and his artistic career was interrupted since then.
B. Bravely start a business and partner with friends to start an incense factory
For more than ten years, Chen Taotao has set up a stall on the street, pushed a cart to sell things, and also sold grilled squid, octopus balls, etc., relying on his hands to support himself.
Chen Taotao, who has suffered a lot of life, gradually faded away from his youthfulness, so that he was not confused, and he often thought: Can he have a career to fight for?
The seeds of entrepreneurship sprouted and took root in Chen Taotao's heart, and Ren Baofeng also had a dream of entrepreneurship. After repeated discussions, the two decided to rely on the foundation of Ren Baofeng's candle business to establish an incense factory. Just do it! In 2022, after the two went to Hebei to inspect the market, they invested in the purchase of incense production equipment at the end of the year, and recruited workers while exploring production.
Lack of funds, do not understand production, do not understand enterprise management, financial management, one after another difficulties followed. Chen Taotao and Ren Baofeng moved forward under pressure, learning if they didn't know how to learn, and they wouldn't ask.
At the beginning of 2023, Chen Taotao and Ren Baofeng invited their friend Liu Ziyuan to start a business together. Coincidentally, Liu Ziyuan, who has been decorating for more than ten years, is seeking transformation and development, and the three hit it off.
Thanks to the addition of Liu Ziyuan, the production line of the incense factory was gradually started. The three people give full play to their respective specialties and have a clear division of labor, Chen Taotao plays the specialty of being able to endure hardships and is responsible for the production line, Liu Ziyuan is responsible for financial management and personnel management, and Ren Baofeng is responsible for product sales.
C. Help the disabled and make the factory a warm "home"
In July 2023, the incense factory started production, and the black incense produced gradually came to the market.
Just as everyone is looking forward to a better future, the problem is again: workers are highly mobile. Since Chen Taotao, one of the shareholders, is disabled, he gives priority to hiring disabled people with the ability to work when recruiting workers, but he often comes and goes in batches, and the shortage of workers seriously affects normal production. After the arrival of the cold winter, the rented old village department of Nanfang Village, Wanghong Town, lacked heating facilities, and the three of them decided to stop production for a period of time after discussion.
At the beginning of spring this year, when the weather warmed up, Chen Taotao decided to create a "home for the disabled" for the disabled in the factory, so that they could work with peace of mind.
Two high-power wall-hung boilers have been installed in the factory, which not only solves the problem of heating in winter, but also provides hot water for the disabled to wash. The recruited disabled people are in charge of food and housing, have fresh vegetables and fruits every day, are equipped with double-door refrigerators, special disinfection cabinets for tableware, and provide bottled purified water, as well as daily necessities such as hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and washing powder. Workers are even provided with washing machines and showers. During the Spring Festival, New Year's gifts and red envelopes were distributed to the disabled on the job. During the May Day period, workers were organized to go to the western cinema of Zhenbeibao to build a group and eat seafood buffet hot pot at night.
"Since we have recruited people with disabilities, we must give them a warm and comfortable 'home' and take care of them as if they were family." Liu Ziyuan said that for the disabled, they are more humane in their daily management, and they ask for leave when they have something to do, and their wages are not deducted.
Plant a good plane tree, and have its own phoenix to perch. In March, the incense factory resumed production, and in May, the company's employment gradually stabilized, and the production line and packaging line were running synchronously. So far, a total of 11 deaf-mute and disabled workers have been hired, and seven or eight surplus laborers from Nanfang Village have been recruited nearby, and the monthly salary of skilled workers can generally reach 3,000 yuan. Aunt Ma, a disabled worker from Gansu, worked hard and received up to 3,600 yuan. Aunt Ma used the "OK" gesture to express "It's good here".
"Because we have no experience, we are also crossing the river by feeling the stones, encountering problems in enterprise management and production, and learning, groping, and summarizing at any time." Liu Ziyuan said that everyone often encourages and cheers each other up, and works in a down-to-earth manner.
"Everyone is friends, and working hard together will make you happier and your feelings will be deeper." What makes Liu Ziyuan particularly emotional is that leading the disabled to start a business is doing good deeds, and there is an opportunity for the disabled to support themselves through their hands, have food, clothing, and pocket money, and be respected and recognized by the society, which makes the entrepreneurs very full and proud in their hearts.
At present, Liu Ziyuan is the backbone of this entrepreneurial group, and he can communicate smoothly with Chen Taotao through sign language. God closes a door for you and will open a window for you. Liu Ziyuan said that although Chen Taotao is disabled, he is smart and diligent, "he has a lot of energy, a good attitude, and a sunny person, and it is these qualities that make him different, so that he dares to think and dare to try to start a business." ”
Of course, Chen Taotao also has a simple life goal: work hard, work hard, work hard, have a career of his own, buy a house, buy a car, and form a happy family with his girlfriend who has been in love for 5 years, so as to make people's lives more fulfilling.
(News Daily reporter Zhang Yanli.)
Intern Li Yixuan/Text Han Shengli/Photo)