Chen Yongfa who lost one of his arms during an accident at work came to Shenzhen in 2009 to begin his entrepreneurship journey with 20,000 yuan (US$2,784) he had saved, Shenzhen Evening News reported.

Chen opened a breakfast shop mainly selling soymilk in Shuiweicun, Longhua in 2009 after a market investigation. With over a decade of operation of the shop, Chen established an entrepreneurship program to provide free trainings for workers who were injured while working in 2010.

From 2010 to 2020, more than 300 disabled workers had opened a franchise shop or returned hometown to start up their own businesses after joining the training program.

In summer of 2009, Chen was contacted by a disabled worker who wanted Chen to help find a job. At that time, Chen worked for a social organization in Dongguan.

Chen learned that the disabled worker returned to hometown after getting the compensation. However, his body situation didn’t allow him to work on the farm.

Chen Yongfa makes steamed rice rolls at his shop. Zhou Wanjun

Chen couldn’t help the disabled worker. This conversation however became an opportunity for Chen to start up his own business in Shenzhen and decide to help more disabled people if he could achieve success.

Chen first learned soymilk making techniques at an institution but he soon discovered that the courses taught required putting flavor into soymilk.

Chen thought the flavor is not healthy to customers especially kids and seniors. His social working experience told Chen that added flavor should not be the solution. Later, Chen spent over half a month learning the techniques of making no flavor added soymilk.

In 2009, Chen finally opened his shop which is less than 3 square meters in Longhua. The shop gained popularity a year later. In 2010, Chen changed the shop’s name to “left-handed soymilk shop”.

Chen opened his shop to other workers for learning and provided free accommodation to them.

“My original goal is to help 100 people,” said Chen. In recent two years, Chen’s free training program didn’t continue but workers who had received trainings regained confidence in life.

Starting 2012, Chen added steamed vermicelli roll to the shop menu. Albeit having one arm, he could use four trays of a machine to make the roll at the same time after almost a year of practicing.

Chen believed the most important thing in life is to be happy and his optimism has comforted many people he encountered.

Chen never forgets to give back to community. In 2010 after Yushu earthquake, Chen donated all the income from the day with the highest turnover in a week.

“Not matter it is being social worker or doing breakfast business, I only have one faith, which is to do it well and do it best. I feel I have no regrets about my life. I could be proud to say I worked really hard to live,” said Chen.