When the Eighteen Chefs branch at Ang Mo Kio first opened, me and friends were extremely excited because it meant nice meals at student prices. It was easily accessible and the meals looked really good on the menu. Upon my first step into the restaurant, my friend whispered "Do you know all the staff here are ex-convicts?"
"Oh really?" I replied, intrigued. I wondered after that as i scanned the faces of the staff. What was so special about this place hiring ex-convicts? Does it mean that they're gonna be rude or be impatient? My friends were extra careful and wary about their valuables that day. I just sat there and ate my food thinking, "Its a restaurant all the same, as long as they serve good food, it doesn't matter who I am being served by."
By far, Eighteen Chefs is one of the most successful social enterprises stemmed from local ground. The founder, Mr Se Teo attributes this success to his business model. Now, Eighteen Chefs yields in profits but it would not have been possible without some losses.
The article dated April 14, 2014 talks about the history of Eighteen Chefs and its founder Mr Se Teo. In the beginning of the article Mr Se Teo was said to have almost went into a drug relapse due to the loss and disdain he felt while Eighteen Chefs was first facing financial losses.
The article is linked here :
http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/food/former-drug-addict-cooking-up-social-change
This thought me that every social enterprise like every other business will be suffering losses. It will be especially difficult if we were supposed to set aside a certain amount of profit for our beneficiaries. To do good and earn profit is not easy. But Mr Se Teo has also thought me the most important thing about social enterprises and that is the main reason it exists is to make a social change. He has touched the lives of many ex-convicts and youth-at-risk and most importantly, he has turned over a new leaf by not going into drug relapse that first time.
Eighteen Chefs is a very good example of an enterprise that has manged to socially integrate their beneficiaries into society but till today, ex-convicts still face discrimination. In every interview, in every employment form, there is bound to be the question , "Have you been convicted of any criminal charges?" or the likes. Singapore still has a long way to go before the ex-convicts will be seamlessly integrated into our society. However, ex-convict employment rates have seen a rise.
According to Jantai (2014) "Not only has their starting pay risen, more are able to hold on to their jobs. Last year, about 60 per cent of the former convicts retained their jobs for at least half a year, compared to 37 per cent who manage to do so in 2007." and "Things are also looking up for the ex-offenders because a criminal past seems to matter less now, with more employers lining up to hire them. About 4,145 employers are registered with Score now, up from 2,459 in 2010." This shows that slowly and steadily, the ex-offenders are being accepted into our society and this is truly a great thing to create a more inclusive society.
Signing off,
Abigail
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