At TokyoLife, every employee with disabilities is regarded as an “angel,” empowered to grow and belong. The inspiring story of the Angel Project for disability employment is shared in the book “Pioneering Marks,” aiming to spread its community-driven mission.
“Angel Project”: An Inspirational Journey of Inclusion
Facing the reality of over 2.5 million people with disabilities and employable in Vietnam but lacking job opportunities, TokyoLife positioned itself as the first enterprise in the country to develop a specialized recruitment, training, and integration process for this marginalized community.
The project’s journey began in 2018 with the establishment of the Angel Factory, employing 30 people with disabilities. Here, they received vocational training and were given a chance to integrate and work in a loving and equitable environment.
Following the success of the Angel Factory, the “non-verbal stores” chain – Angel House, was born, with 80% of its staff being Deaf individuals. They gradually asserted their capabilities, integrated, and gained confidence. Today, TokyoLife is proud to have created employment for 142 people with disabilities in its production facilities, offices, and nationwide network of stores.
One of the keys to the project’s success is TokyoLife’s commitment to ensuring an equitable, inclusive, and supportive work environment.
Through training sessions, TokyoLife effectively bridged the gap between employees with and without disabilities, fostering a culture of empathy, equality, and respect.
Positive Impact on the Community
TokyoLife aims to not only create positive changes in society but also spread positive values to the community through its actions. The company hopes that more projects will be implemented and benefit more people.
This inspiring journey of TokyoLife was honored with the Human Act Prize 2023 and documented in the book “Pioneering Marks” – the first publication in Vietnam about business model innovation with long-lasting positive social impact. Mr. Le Quoc Vinh, Brand Representative, shared: “This is an honor and also an encouragement and challenge for TokyoLife to continue improving the Angel Project to have a deeper impact on the community.”
Mr. Le Quoc Vinh, Angel employees, and the Director of Happiness representing TokyoLife at the press conference for the launch of “Pioneering Marks” (from left to right)
The Angel Project is not just for TokyoLife; it’s also an initiative to help other businesses shape their employment models for people with disabilities. If this model is replicated, the 2.5 million people with disabilities will have jobs, enabling them to create value for themselves, support their families, and contribute to society.
Angel Cafe – A sustainable employment model for people with disabilities.
With its community-centric philosophy, TokyoLife will continue to expand the Angel Project to not just help people with disabilities find work and contribute but also inspire other businesses to do the same, creating more job opportunities for this underserved community.
