“WeCAN Cookies”, baking happiness for the people
The CEO and nun, ‘Cho, Jin Won‘ tells us that they bake cookies with belief that they can make something. Most of the workers at WeCAN have intellectual and developmental disabilities. However, you can never doubt the quality of cookies. All the ingredients making cookies are organic, and never use margarine or shortening which are transfat.Moreover, the whole process of baking cookies is done by hands not machine and fully equipped with sanitary facilities.
It was very hard to make first step as a cookie company, WeCAN. Most of buyers mind purchasing cookies from WeCAN, because they have prejudice against the cookies by the disabilities. As the cookie boxes are stacked on the back side of yards, Mrs. Cho tried to sell them to people at churches and streets from dawn till night. Someone regards her as a seller not a nun, since she is trying to make profit. However, she thinks it is right for the workers at WeCAN.
With this effort, WeCAN Cookie is spread out mouth to mouth, get popular through the internet shopping mall. On weekends, they often have workshops for the groups which want to learn how to bake cookies.
The total sales of last year is up to KRW 580 million. It is an enormous achievement comparing to the year of start-up, but WeCAN is still in the red. However, Mrs. Cho, the CEO of WeCAN does not run the business just for financial profit. She said “Employing more disabilities is the main purpose of WeCAN, not the money only.”
One of the workers at WeCAN, ‘Lee, Chul Soo’ said,
“I feel great when people eat the cookie I made and they appreciate it. I would like to live as an independent person, not the disability who should get care from the society.”
Lee, GI Hoon (jjamary@chosun.com)
Picture: Kim, Young Kwan (tkkwan80@chosun.com)
