Han Joo-hee, an intellectually disabled person, is holding a pretzel before coating it with chocolate. Reporter Park Jong-shik anaki@hani.co.kr
Lee Jae-jin (32), autistically disabled, is making ‘Ubuntu’ chocolate. Unlike the cold weather outside on the 10th, ahead of Valentine’s Day, the ‘Ubuntu’ chocolate workshop at Dongan Jeil Welfare Center (herefollowing referred to as the center) in Macheon-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul was full of enthusiasm from artisans.
Lee Jae-jin, a person with autism, pours chocolate on a marble plate and spreads it with a spatula while checking the temperature with a thermometer. Reporter Park Jong-shik
Mr. Lee, who poured chocolate melted at 50℃ on a marble board, carefully checked the temperature of 31℃ with a thermometer and spread it evenly with a spatula (left photo below). The tempering that Mr. Jaejin does (making glossy soft chocolate through temperature control) is a difficult task among the chocolate production processes. Jae-jin’s sincerity and liquid chocolate are applied to pretzels, a knot-shaped snack, by other disabled people including Han Joo-hee (43), a person with intellectual disabilities, and labor support workers (large picture and bottom center picture). Joo-hee, who has been making chocolate for 4 years, also has a level 3 chocolatier (a craftsman who specializes in making chocolate). When asked if making chocolate is fun, Joo-hee answered with a smile.
Disabled people and work support workers are working on coating pretzels with chocolate. Reporter Park Jong-si
The center has been producing and selling handmade chocolates since 2018 with the goal of helping people with disabilities become self-reliant. The center, which operated a laundromat, started making chocolate while looking for a job that was highly satisfying for people with disabilities. With the help of ‘Inactors’, a joint club at Yonsei University, he overcame difficulties in the early days and is promoting ‘Ubuntu’ chocolate. This year, chocolate making classes for disabled and non-disabled people, which were suspended due to COVID-19, will resume. Park Kyung-ho (49), director of the center, said, “I hope you can make ‘Ubuntu’ chocolate with the disabled and taste it.”
People with disabilities are working on chocolate coating pretzels. Reporter Park Jong-shik
‘Ubuntu’ is a South African Bantu word meaning that humans cannot live alone. In an era where the coexistence of disabled and non-disabled people is still a social issue, ‘Ubuntu’ chocolate has many implications. I dream of a day when the boundary between the disabled and non-disabled people will be blurred like softly melting ‘Ubuntu’ chocolate.
The finished ‘Ubuntu’ chocolate. Reporter Park Jong-shik
Buy Ubuntu Chocolate (happybean.naver.com/fundings/detail/F826) and chocolate making experience (booking.naver.com/booking/12/bizes/272565/items/4861424) is available through Naver Happy Bean.
