A pair of mums who just wanted their sons to have meaningful work are now on a mission to make their coffee cart start-up into a functioning business.
Northland mothers Rachel Hill and Alison Faithful started the Taimahi Trust with the aim of giving their sons, who both have Down syndrome, worthwhile employment.
"My son was turning 21 and her son is 20, and we were looking at a pretty bleak future for our kids," Hill, from Whangārei, said.
DENISE PIPER/STUFF
Taimahi Trust co-founder Rachel Hill wants her 21-year-old son Nathan Owre, who has Down syndrome, to be independent.
Hill described her son Nathan Owre as high functioning – able to do tasks if shown with patience and easily bored if things were too simple.
"High functioning means that they're capable of so much more than people give them credit for," she said.
RACHEL HILL/SUPPLIED
Ruairidh Morrison, Callum Boyd and Nathan Owre have learnt how to work together with Taimahi's coffee cart.
"We wanted them to have work that's real, not made up, which is tied up with self-esteem, confidence; it gives us meaning and contributes to meaningful life."
Hill's own semi-retirement and move to Whangārei from Auckland coincided with a coffee cart becoming available.
Her son was interested in becoming a barista like his older brother, so Hill threw caution to the wind and bought the cart, admitting she did not do a business plan before securing it.
RACHEL HILL/SUPPLIED
Adam Faithfull and Ruairidh Morrison are part of the efficient team on Taimahi's coffee cart.
But Owre and his friends Adam Faithful, Ruairidh Morrison and Callum Boyd had taken to the task well.
All were able to work together and not only had more self-confidence but were better problem solvers now, Hill said.
"I saw the boys got enormous pride out of doing a real job and the second thing I saw was the public loved it – they loved talking to the boys and they loved the fact that they were doing this job."
The coffee cart secured work with Northland Road Safety, which runs Driver Reviver stops six times a year.
Currently, the men with intellectual disabilities were paid a koha for their work.
In order to give them a full wage, the coffee cart business needed to expand and hire a full-time supervisor, so coffee days were not just limited to Hill's days off.
The trust hoped to apply for grants to help make that a reality, she said.
But while further start-up businesses and a cafe were long-term goals, Hill hoped the young men would also inspire their comrades to also get busy.
"The benefits are enormous."
