[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXbHDu0dnrU]
Ashraf’s Café, an inclusive café aiming to serve as a training ground for students of MIJ Special Education Hub’s, A-SPED (Adult Special Education) programme will be opening this Saturday evening at 8pm at Fragrance Building, Chagi Road.The café concept will allow these individuals a real-life working environment, and yet still very much a safe space for them. At present, there are 5 students who are going through training at the café as part of the Work Readiness Adult Program (WRAP).MIJ Special Education Hub is a Social Enterprise, established in 2011 by a couple Madam Faraliza Zainal, 47, and her husband, who has a son with autism, Mohd Ashraf Mohd Ali. Like every parent of Individuals with Special Ability, they wanted their son to be independent, gain job opportunities and society’s acceptance.In their journey to provide a holistic education for Ashraf, they have also extended the programs conducted in MIJ to other parents whose vision for their children resonates with MIJ’s education outcome. These special individuals are namely diagnosed with Autism, down syndrome, ADHD, Dyslexia, and GDD. MIJ’s programme caters to these individuals from a young age of 4 to 35 years old.Before founding MIJ, Madam Faraliza earned an advanced diploma in special needs education, became a certified play therapist, and researched other methods of therapy.
“We are very excited to have our very own experiential Cafe Concept that will be operating end June 2018, to be a launching pad to allow our students a real-life working environment, and yet still very much a safe space for them,” said Madam Faraliza Zainal.
According to their fundraising write up on Launchgood, their cafe is will be made up of 2 units and located right below the school, where our MIJ team can closely monitor the progress of our aspiring young chefs and restaurateurs.”This cafe will enable our students to learn essential F&B industry skills such as customer service, food preparation and table waiting. We also want our Cafe to be a place where friendships blossom! A place where our guests can interact with our students and help build confidence in themselves.”MIJ is still raising money to fund the ‘Work Readiness Adult Program’ (WRAP) and for the purchase of tools and equipment needed to run the cafe example chiller, freezer, ovens, stove and many others totalling to an amount of $30,000.In 2017, MIJ managed to raise $90k for the programmes in their school.The launch of Ashraf’s Cafe is open to public.
Ashraf’s Cafe Launch
168 Changi Rd, Fragrance Building #01-01 S(419730)Saturday, 21st July 20188.00pm – 10.00pm
.To contribute to the fundraising project,
