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There’s a home-based artisan bakery with a difference on the Coast.
In addition to making cakes to order, Daniella Wards-Sepúlveda is providing skills, a sense of purpose, and a wage, to a young woman called Sophie with a winning smile and Down Syndrome.
Sophie, 24, is involved throughout the process, from collecting the ingredients to mixing batter and monitoring the oven. Her role doesn’t end when the cake is iced – Daniella ensures she’s involved in the handover of the finished product.
Before customers arrive to pick up an almond-caramel, chocolate-raspberry or any of the other cakes on offer, Daniella asks them to make time to interact with her helper for a few minutes, which she says will “make Sophie’s day – and mine”.
Sophie talks about the cake they have bought, and sends customers on their way with a cheery “have a lovely day” or “enjoy the weather”.
“It sounds simple,” Daniella says, “but she’s connecting, developing social skills, and creating a special greeting for that customer.”
Daniella, a teacher and mum who’s lived in New Zealand for 15 years, decided to embark on her “inclusive bakery”, Elo’s Cakes, while visiting her native Chile where, by law, any company with a workforce of more than 50 must employ someone with special needs.
After seeing people with Down Syndrome working at a large hardware store, she thought, “I could do that in New Zealand. I love to make cakes, so the idea grew from there.”
Back home on the Hibiscus Coast, she made contact with the Down Syndrome Association, and in time was put in touch with Teresa, Sophie’s mum.
“I explained my idea, and Sophie said she would like to work with me.”
Since then, Sophie has come a long way. At the start she couldn’t bear the noise of the food mixer, but now she doesn’t mind it – “a small thing, but a massive step for her”.
Sophie’s in charge of getting the boxes ready for the prepared cakes. They write down her hours, and how much she needs to be paid. She prepares her own lunch at home to bring along. If they unexpectedly run out of an ingredient they make a list and go to the shop together, always paying in cash, with Sophie in charge of the money.
Everything’s a teaching moment. During our interview, Daniella defers frequently to Sophie, whose initial shyness ebbs away, her quiet words accompanied by thumbs-up gestures.
She says that her favourite cake is chocolate, that cake you make yourself tastes much better than shop-bought ones, and that when she and Daniella bake cookies, the deal is that she can only eat a maximum of two.
She made her own cake – a lemon meringue – for her birthday, loves the beach, and is a Taylor Swift fan.
Teresa, who accompanied her daughter to her job for the first few weeks, says she has become more confident.
“Having a job – even part time – has given Sophie a purpose and more motivation to get up in the morning,” she says. “Sophie has become less isolated. She has a sense of belonging. Obviously she has learnt baking, and even maths skills.”
“Having autonomy and working separately from family members has hugely boosted her morale and sense of who she is,” Teresa adds.
Daniella says she would love to create a community, where other employers do as she is doing. She envisages a day when she can take on a second helper with special needs, and let Sophie teach them what she has learned. “That’s my dream.”
“All of us at some point feel discriminated against for some reason,” Daniella says. “For someone with Down Syndrome, that happens all the time, wherever they go. If I can contribute a little bit to close that gap, I’m happy.”
“Our vision is to give room to people like Sophie, a place in society, room to work, dignity, and a salary, to show the community how much they have to offer.”
