In addition to other mango-affiliated products, pillows in the shape and color of the fruit made by members of the Saint Theresa Opportunity Center (德蘭啟智中心) in Yujing District (玉井) have been a great success and well-received by tourists.
Hand-sewn by the students of the Telan Special Education Center, the pillows were developed in an effort to provide the students at the center with a skill, center director Yang Mei-hua (楊美華) said.
“Though the income is limited, it nonetheless bolsters the students’ confidence in their own ability,” Yang said.
Photo: Wu Chun-feng, Taipei Times
The pillows, named after popular Taiwanese singer Wang Li-hom (王力宏), were intended to be homophones of the three primary colors, yellow, green and red, which also represent the three most popular mango types in the township, Yang said.
The three types are the chinhuang (yellow), the local mango (green) and the aiwen (red).
The students took care of all the work for the pillows, including pattern making, the cutting of original material, rabbeting, stuffing and sewing the pillows closed, Yang said, adding that the process helped them make a living for themselves
All income from the sale of the pillows went to the students after the deduction of material fees, but since the pillows did not cost a lot per item there was little to go around, Yang said, adding that the students nonetheless worked hard at the job.
The pillows are quite well received by tourists, Yang said, adding that the center has been receiving calls ordering more pillows.
The center is also selling dried mangoes in an effort to raise more money for its students and members, Yang said.
The township center also has other activities to help its members and students learn skills aiding them in the process of applying for gainful employment, including car washing, cleaning, gardening, packaging, cooking, sewing and making postcards.
The members at the center are free to choose which activity to participate in and professionals oversee them all, Yang said, adding that to date all the classes and activities have yielded exceptional results.
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