Utopix Magazine- Issue 2

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This sparked a question within me: how could I create

lasting joy and independence for them? That's when

the idea of teaching them to bake their favorite treats

came to life, leading to the creation of Rainbow

Angels Cafe. Our mission was simple: to see the joy

and confidence find a lasting place in their eyes.

“HERE, THE WORLD OF

SOUND AND THE WORLD

OF SILENCE COME

TOGETHER, AND

CONNECTIONS BETWEEN

THE TWO SIDES

NATURALLY GROW

STRONGER.”

Since the opening of Rainbow Angels Bakery

in 2017, have you encountered any

difficulties and challenges? What impact

have these challenges had on the hearing-

impaired bakers?

Felicia Li: The journey hasn't been easy. In 2017, our

biggest challenge was earning trust. As a newcomer

from Taiwan, I faced skepticism. People wondered,

"Will she stay long enough to see this through? Will

you still be here after a year or even half a year? We

trust you; we grant you all the resources you need, but

will this last?" This lack of trust extended to the

bakers as well. People thought, “What? Teaching them

to bake? This sounds like an extremely difficult task.”

Back then, the truth was that for the majority of the

hearing-impaired population, their pathway in life

was limited to entering a big company and doing the

most basic tasks, for example, simply enacting the

role of security guards or just sitting there and helping

them photo-copy documents.

However, we believed in their potential to become

skilled bakers. Initially, gaining the necessary

resources was tough, and six months after opening,

we almost had to shut down due to low sales.

Fortunately, as our pastry skills improved, we began

to receive more support.

The COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022

brought another major challenge. By 2020, our

bakers had learned to make at least ten types of

pastries. The pandemic forced us to decide whether

to close or continue amidst global uncertainty. We

chose to persevere and even took a bold step: we

established a company for our bakers, transforming

them from students to formal members of an

enterprise. This was a significant milestone, but it

came with its own set of challenges, including a

major budget deficit that almost led to closure in

2022. However, we rebuilt and continued our

journey.

Over the past seven years, we've faced many

obstacles, from lack of trust to financial challenges.

Our journey to where we are now would not have

been possible without the love and compassion of

our supporters.

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