Zhang Qian

    zhqcindy@163.com

    SATURDAY was a special day for Li Jiasi when he celebrated his first payday at Xihan’er Car Wash in Futian District. For the 21-year-old intellectually disabled man, he is one step closer to his dream of purchasing a car and house.

    Xihan’er Car Wash in Meilin, which is dedicated to providing jobs for intellectually challenged adults, announced its official opening Saturday amid hundreds of supporters, including special-education teachers, government officials, charity organizers and parents of the mentally disabled.

    During the ceremony, eight intellectually disabled staffers collected their first monthly salary of 2,030 yuan (US$327) each.

    “The basic salary is not much at this stage, but I believe that through our efforts, our staffers will earn a lot more than this in the future — eventually enough to make their counterparts in the industry jealous,” joked Cao Jun, the founder of Xihan’er Family, an NGO that is dedicated to offering jobs and training to the mentally challenged, the first of its kind on the Chinese mainland.

    In Chinese, “xihan’er” literally means “happy fools” and it refers to mentally disabled people.

    Before its Saturday opening, the car wash underwent a trial operation for about a fortnight. Thanks to extensive media coverage and social media interest, the car wash has become a popular local topic.

    “We are quite confident that our eight staffers will offer good service to our customers,” said Cao in an interview a few days before the opening ceremony.

    Helping intellectually disabled adults blend into society has been a concern for a long time. Though government policies require certain organizations and companies to hire the mentally disabled, the work environments and employers often do not meet the individuals’ needs.

    Since most education resources and government subsidies are given to mentally disabled children under 18 years of age, finding gainful employment for them after they graduate is often a problem.

    Statistics show that in China, about 80 percent of intellectually disabled adults stay at home after graduation.

    Cao is also a father of a mentally challenged child. His son, 13, is now attending a special school. What motivated Cao to set up the NGO was the worry about whether his son could find employment and fit in with society after graduation.

    Cao hopes a commercial mode can offer a sustainable living for mentally disabled adults.

    The car wash received a warm welcome from residents. Many people attended the opening event and had their cars washed.

    The car wash service costs 35 yuan each time and Cao insists they don’t accept donations. “Our staffers can earn money with their skills and dignity just like everyone else and don’t need to rely on donations,” said Cao.

    The car wash is located on Kaifeng Road in Meilin.