Five girls and five boys with different disabilities have been officially employed this month at a social enterprise with two types of activity – public alimentation and hothouse vegetable growing in hothouses.
Contacted by IPN, the head of the NGO “Eco-Razeni” Sergiu Gurau said that the social eatery was opened several days ago. It employs seven persons with disabilities. Another three persons will look after the vegetables growing in the enterprise’s hothouse. The young people take warm lunches at home to 20 elderly persons who are confined to bed or are socially deprived. These persons will receive free hot lunches three times a week. The food is prepared by a chief cook and four girls with disabilities who help him. Two disabled young men distribute the lunches at home, while one man works as an accountant.
Sergiu Gurau stated that the number of persons who will benefit from free lunches will be increased. In a period, a part of the lunches will be distributed for money so as to ensure the enterprise’s financial sustainability. The young people will receive a monthly salary of 1,600 lei. They are aged between 18 and 35 and are from Razeni village of Ialoveni district.
The young people were trained in the culinary art through the agency of the National Employment Agency and the public association “Island of Hope”. Afterward they were issued with certificates recognized by the Ministry of Education. The social enterprise was opened and the disabled young people were employed within the Social Integration of Young People with Disabilities by Developing a Socioeconomic Enterprise Project that was launched by “Eco-Razeni“ last April. The project was supported by the Federal Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection of Austria through the Austrian non-for-profit organization “Volkshilfe Solidarität”.
