Café with a Conscience
In a tranquil corner of Dempsey’s Loewen Gardens, there’s a quiet revolution going on. Having started as a simple café catering for visitors to this lush corner of Singapore, The Pantry has just registered successfully as a social enterprise. Now, along w
Trained as a kindergarten teacher and specialised in autism, Jayne Nadarajoo is passionate about integrated education. Having seen first-hand the challenges faced by children with special needs who cannot get a spot in a Singapore school, she has for a long time offered a placement for a child with special needs in each class at White Lodge. Two years ago, she launched MSIS, a dedicated special needs school, to give something back to the community.
Initially developed to meet the needs of the older MSIS students, the Life Skills Programme teaches basic kitchen skills, from cleaning and prepping the kitchen to baking cakes, cookies and more. The positive response encouraged Jayne to extend the programme. “People were saying: What you do is a force for good, so why limit it to the school? Why not open it to others?”
As a social enterprise, The Pantry – newly rebranded as “The Pantry Social Enterprise Café” – will provide vocational training for young adults with special needs, giving them the chance to acquire the skills they require for independent living and, potentially, employment.
“We also need to consider the sustainability of the business: takeaway and delivery meals, online markets, specialised food like gluten-free or wheat-free. This is where we need the community to support us. We’d also love volunteers to come and help. There’s so much expertise out there,” she says.
Jayne’s ultimate goal is to make Singapore a more inclusive society, and she hopes her work will set an example for others. “I’ve invited other schools and VWOS (Voluntary Welfare Organisations) to come and use the facilities, and the response has been amazing. They don’t always know how to ask for what they need, so we offer it; we hope to be models of how to be open with one another and help each other.”
The Loewen Gardens community has also played an important role in the story so far. The area tends to attract open-minded, well-travelled types who have a receptive attitude. Jayne wants to harness that positive energy to turn the area into a hub where social enterprises can come together to help one another and share ideas and advice.
A monthly Social Enterprise Market is in the works, and Jayne is planning a raft of other new activities. Look out for home and office catering where students work with the chefs to prepare food, a Coffee Morning for Mums, a Saturday Brunch for Families and special orders for Christmas goodies including cakes, cookies and Christmas hams.