Adama Shih studied electrical engineering and used to make a nice sal-ary. Twelve years ago, he was production manager at a machine tools factory. Back then his passion largely revealed itself in pushing for educational reform as a member of the National Teachers' Association. Taking advantage of his position of authority in the company, he was also able to give some of the company's packaging work to residents of the nearby Joyce McMillan Erhlin Happy Christian Home, which serves the mentally handicapped.
In 1999, confronting low-cost competition from mainland China, manufacturers were reorganizing their production lines. When the company decided to add automatic equipment that would bring down labor costs NT$0.20 per part, Shih was forced to tell the residents of the home that their services would no longer be needed. It really shook him up.
"How could a person's labor be worth less than 20 cents?" The vexing question nagged at him. And so, when he blurted out, "We should teach the children how to make bread instead!" the nun who ran the home thought it was a splendid idea. Intent on keeping his promise, Shih used his own funds to start a bakery and made arrangements to hire a professional to handle instruction and management.
After one month, he discovered that the venture wasn't going to work unless he threw himself fully into it. Consequently, he left his salaried job for the bakery, Rejoice Bread Workshop, where he became half boss and half jack of all trades. From designing products and the production process (in a manner that would suit the mentally disabled), to mentoring newcomers, to designing a new computer control system, he did it all. He also served as bookkeeper, delivery boy, and trailblazer of new sales channels. Relying on home deliveries and orders from the Homemaker's Union, Rejoice was able to get on a stable footing in about two years.
To give something back, the bakery has donated its bread to charities for sales drives. What's more, its prices are pretty reasonable for European-style bread. Customer satisfaction is its chief aim.
"We are thankful for the social resources we've benefitted from, but we don't regard Rejoice as a sheltered workshop. We've never taken any government money. This is a pragmatically managed 'small-scale social enterprise.'
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