When Su Anne Lee was youthful, she was quiet, timid, even. She hardly ever made eye contact and barely spoke when addressed. However at this time, she greets clients at a bustling café, shares her story with others, and speaks on behalf of individuals with mental disabilities throughout Malaysia. Her transformation didn’t occur in a single day, it was nurtured with love, perception, and alternative. And it began at Tender Hearts.
Tender Hearts Café, a comfortable and purpose-driven house in Malaysia, is greater than a café. It’s a social enterprise began by Su Anne’s mom, Sharon Lee, who noticed one thing many others missed, a spot between formal schooling and significant employment for folks with mental disabilities. Sharon, like many dad and mom of youngsters with mental variations, puzzled what got here after college. When Su Anne was identified later in her childhood, it turned clear that whereas there was rising consciousness for youngsters with particular wants, help usually vanished as they grew older.
“It actually felt like a calling for me to do one thing,” Sharon stated. And so, she did.
Sharon joined forces with two different moms and their daughters to create Tender Hearts, an area the place youth with mental disabilities couldn’t solely acquire expertise however discover function. It started merely with three ladies, a kitchen, and a dream. At present, Tender Hearts is a companion of Particular Olympics Malaysia and a acknowledged coaching floor for inclusive employment. It’s a hub of pleasure, collaboration, and confidence-building.
Su Anne’s journey at Tender Hearts started cautiously. “She wasn’t a kitchen individual,” Sharon stated. “So, we began her on the cashier counter, however even then, she was shy to ask clients what they wished.” Day-to-day, process by process, Su Anne began to search out her rhythm. With steering and endurance, she realized tips on how to take orders, greet visitors, and finally tips on how to lead.
“She’s extra vocal now,” says Sharon. “She talks to clients. She’s extra assured. I’ve seen an enormous change in her.”
That change caught the eye of others, too. When the previous nationwide director of Particular Olympics Malaysia noticed Su Anne in motion, she instantly acknowledged her potential. Quickly after, Su Anne was invited to offer a speech at a nationwide occasion, a second that might have appeared unimaginable only a few years earlier.
“She wished to do it,” Sharon stated. “And she or he did. I used to be so completely satisfied, it was a brand new stage for her.”
Su Anne’s voice has solely grown louder and prouder since then. At present, she is an advocate, an worker, and a task mannequin. With Particular Olympics Malaysia’s help, she continues to talk up for inclusion, displaying others what’s doable when folks with mental disabilities are seen, supported, and believed in.
After all, the journey hasn’t at all times been straightforward. Sharon admits it’s nonetheless difficult; there’s no roadmap for constructing a future in a world that isn’t at all times inclusive. “I’m nonetheless studying. It’s nonetheless trial and error. However I emphasize social expertise above all. Like every other guardian, I need my youngster to be impartial someday. After I’m not right here, I need her to have the ability to take care of herself.”
That’s the guts of Tender Hearts, constructing independence by alternative. The café is greater than a enterprise, it’s a springboard for dignity, confidence, and hope. And someday, Sharon hopes the youth themselves will take the reins.
“My dream is for Su Anne and her associates to personal and run this place. I do know she gained’t surrender. She’s persistent. If she desires to do one thing, she’s going to.”
For now, they preserve displaying up, continue to learn, and preserve main the way in which one order, one speech, and one decided step at a time.
“I’m so blessed to have her,” Sharon says. “All I need is for her to maneuver ahead. Give them the coaching. Give them the boldness. They’ll do the remaining.”
