Anton Kibenko is from Vinnytsia. The man uses a wheelchair. He has been working as a barista at the inclusive coffee shop “Dandelion” for 3 years. He gave up freelancing to work in a social project that employs people with disabilities. Here, they serve aromatic coffee and delicious tea every day, and also offer to buy unique handmade products created by craftsmen with disabilities. This project was created by “The Harmony” NGO.
Before working as a barista, Anton worked as a freelancer. The head of the Harmonia NGO, Liudmyla Netskina, offered him a job at Kulbabka. He didn’t know what to expect, but he didn’t refuse. Now he is doing something that has become a motivation for him to move forward.
“Freelancing, you have your own deadlines, but here you have to meet the work schedule. You have to be on time, open the coffee shop on time. It was something completely new for me. At first it was hard at the new place. The cups got mixed up, a large and constant flow of people, anxiety about mixing up anything… I needed time to adapt. But over time, I got used to it,” – Anton admits.
The inclusive environment and work team expanded his social circle. Customers became not just customers, but real friends. Anton began to feel important. He knows his job and his services are in demand among clients.
“I feel needed because what I do is useful. It’s nice when people come to me for coffee, and when I’m gone for a long time, they ask my colleagues where I am and what’s wrong with me. They are waiting for me to return, and then I realize that my work is needed and I am important,” says the barista.
Anton especially appreciates the moments when he can cheer people up.
Anton has been working as a barista for 3 years. He gets to work by public transportation, overcoming the difficulties that come with it. Mostly, it is the schedule that he has to adapt to and the unsuitability of transport for people with disabilities. The man sincerely loves his job. It gave him an incentive to develop, to be needed in his life and in the lives of other people.
Anton’s advice to people with disabilities who are currently looking for a job:
“Don’t be afraid! It is important to improve your skills and acquire new ones. Never give up, no matter how many rejections you receive. Only those who do not stop overcome difficulties.”
The project is implemented with the financial support of the World Vision and the European Disability Forum (EDF) thanks to a grant from the League of the Strong NGO. The views expressed in this material are those of the Harmony NGO and therefore do not in any way reflect the official opinion of the financial partners.