UweBrutzerathisbakeryinChangsha,HunanProvinceCOURTESYPHOTOBach’sBakeryonXiangchunRoadinChangsha,capitalofcentralChina’sHunanProvince,opensateighto’clockinthemorningeverydayandprovidescustomerswithGermanbreadstraightfromtheoven.Themodestbakerylookssimilartoothershopsonthewindinglane;however,theBrutzers,whoownthestore,arewellknownas“thegoodSamaritansfromGermany”intheneighborhood.
UweBrutzeropenedthebakeryin2011withtheintentoffurtheringthecouple’sworkhelpinghearing-impairedpeopleinChina.Ofthe12employees,sevenhaveahearingimpairment,withtwoapprenticeshipsofferedeveryyear.Manyofthosewhoonceworkedinthebakeryhavegoneontostarttheirownbusinesses.
Since2002,thecouplehavetraveledaroundtheprovince,helpinghearingimpairedpeople,especiallychildren.
Rehabilitationtrainers
BrutzerisfromKarlsruhe,acityontheRhineRiverinsouthwestGermany.Aftergraduatingfromcollege,heworkedasachemicalengineerinapharmaceuticalfactoryinhishometown.HiswifeDorotheeworkedasateacherinaprimaryschool.Thecouplelivedaprosperouslife,butBrutzeralwayswantedtolearnChinese.“Iwantedtodosomethingtohelpothers.IwasinterestedinChinaandIbelievedlearningChinesewouldbeuseful,”herecalled.
HewonDorothee’ssupportandthecouplequittheirjobsinGermanyandheadedtoChina.WhiletheywerelearningtheChineselanguage,BrutzerhappenedtoseeacharityprojectrunbyGlobalTeamHilfsbunde.VfromGermanyinChangshathatwasrecruitingvolunteerstohelplocalhearing-impairedchildrenwithvocalrehabilitationtraining.Theprojectprovidedhimwithanapproachtohelpingothers.In2002,thecouplemovedtoChangshaandbegantoworkasvolunteers.
Atfirst,theBrutzersopenedavocalrehabilitationtrainingclassattheHunanDisabledPersons’Federation.Asrehabilitationtrainers,theytaughtchildrenlisteningskillsandsimplepronunciationeveryday.
Throughcooperatingwiththefederationandrelevantorganizations,theyreachedouttohearing-impairedchildrenunder7yearsoldandappliedforfundsfromGlobalTeamHilfsbunde.Vforvocalrehabilitation.ThecouplehasworkedinmostofthespecialeducationschoolsandrehabilitationcentersinseveralcitiesinHunanincludingChangsha,ZhuzhouandXiangtan.Inthepast16years,theBrutzershaveassistedmorethan500hearingimpairedchildren.Mostofthemcanspeaknow,withafewfluently.
Bakeryoflove
In2011,BrutzerlefttherehabilitationcenterandboughtthebakeryonceownedbyanotherGerman.HerecruitedaprofessionalGermanbakerwhotaughthearingimpairedpeopletomakebread.
“Inthepast10years,theeducationalconditionsforhearing-impairedchildrenhavebeengreatlyimproved.However,theyneedemploymenttrainingtointegratefurtherintosociety.Iwantedtodosomethingtohelp,”saidBrutzer.Hisgoalwastoenablethehearingimpairedtofindsecurejobsandliveadecentlifeontheirown.
BrutzerhasapersonalpreferencefortheGermancomposerJohannSebastianBachandthat’showBach’sBakerywasborn.“Bachwroteperfectmusicandwewanttomakeperfectbread,”hesaid.Meanwhile,Dorotheecontinuedtoworkonvocalrehabilitation.
Initially,thebakerycouldonlymakeendsmeetduetoitsunfavorablelocation.However,afterlocalmediaoutletstoldBrutzer’sstory,moreandmorecustomerslearnedaboutthebakery,anditbegantoperformincreasinglybetter.Bach’sBakerybecamethebakeryofloveinChangshaandturnedintoalocalattraction.
BrutzerisnottooworryaboutwhetherBach’sBakerymakesahugeprofit.“Itisenoughaslongaspeopleenjoythebreadwemakeandthinkwearedoingsomethingmeaningful,”hesaid.Hewelcomesanyhearing-impairedpersonwhowantstolearnbreadmakingandevenprovidesdormitoriesforemployeesfromotherregions.
StudentstakealessonataspecialeducationschoolinLinyi,eastChina’sShandongProvince,onJune25XINHUAProgressondisabilities
Inthepast16years,BrutzerhaswitnessedtheprogressChinahasmadeinhelpingthosewithdisabilities.Speakingonthetopic,Brutzerwassoexcitedthatheraisedhisvoice.
“Chinahasmadegreatprogress.Inthepast,onlyafewhearing-impairedchildrencouldgettrainingatrehabilitationcenters.Nowmostchildrencanparticipateinrehabilitationtrainingandstarttowearaudiphonesandreceivelisteningtrainingat1or2yearsold,”Brutzerexplained.“Sixteenyearsago,childrenwenttorehabilitationcenterstoreceivetrainingatanaverageageof5.Sincetheymissedthebestyearsforgettinglisteningtraining,theeffectswerenotasgoodastheyarenow.”
InBrutzer’sview,China’srapiddevelopmentandthegovernment’sfocusontheissuehaveenabledmoreandmorechildrentogetassistance.“Nowassistanceprojectsandsubsidiesprovidedbythegovernmentareincreasingandchildreninpoverty-strickenareascangethelp.”
Thereporttothe19thNationalCongressoftheCommunistPartyofChinaunderlinedtheneedtodevelopprogramsforpeoplewithdisabilitiesandprovidebetterrehabilitationservicesforthem.Withtheimplementationofrehabilitationandassistanceprojects,theirsituationintermsofreceivingrehabilitationserviceshasbeenremarkablyimproved.
Statisticsshowthatcurrentlythereare27.8millionhearing-impairedpeopleinChinaand23,000hearing-impairedbabiesareborneveryyear.Since2009,Chinahasinitiatedarehabilitationprojecttoprovidehearing-impairedchildrenuptotheageof6inpoorfamilieswithfreeartificialcochleaimplantsurgeryandaudiphones.Since2012,Chinahasallottednearly2billionyuan($289million)tosupporthearing-impairedchildren.Duringthe12thFive-YearPlan(2011-15)period,27,000hearing-impairedchildrenreceivednationalassistance.
AccordingtotheActionPlanforProvidingDisabledPeopleWithTargetedRehabilitationServicesissuedbyauthoritiesin2016,80percentofhearing-impairedpeoplewillbeabletoreceiverehabilitationservicesby2020.
Brutzerbelievesthatastrainingrelatedtohearing-impairmentbecomespopularinChina,rehabilitationcourseswillcoverallChinesehearing-impairedchildrenoneday.
CopyeditedbyRebecaToledoCommentsto