July 7, 2020 – After a little more than 3 years of effort, persistence and work, Buba Bar has opened in Vinkovci as the first cafe in Croatia that employs people with disabilities.
HRTurizam writes that in December 2016, a crowdfunding campaign was launched on the Indiegogo platform, which was, among other things, the second most successful crowdfunding campaign in 2016. With the noble goal of opening the first cafe in Croatia to employ people with Down syndrome, the honorable Buba Bar was born.
The brave and more than praiseworthy vision finally brought a smile to the faces of ten people with Down syndrome and other people with disabilities in Vukovar-Srijem County who realized their basic human right – the right to work – with their first job in life.
Udruga Bubamara
The campaign was launched by the Association Bubamara from Vinkovci, which cares for over 1,600 people with disabilities in Vukovar-Srijem County, employs over 200 people, and has successfully applied for and implemented over 100 projects. The Bubamara Association, which with its excellent results, unofficially bears the title of the most successful association in Croatia, and is an excellent example of the development and business of associations.
Alen, Domagoj, Dario, Ivana and Marija are just a part of the team that started working at Buba Bar, and in the past a few years, they diligently practiced and honed their skills to make their start as successful as possible. The group was trained, and through various activities and events where they had the opportunity to show their skills, both in the city of Vinkovci and throughout Croatia, they showed that they are ready for a new challenge.
As part of Buba Bar, there is also a bowling alley with four lanes as new entertainment in Vinkovci!
Udruga Bubamara
Perhaps the biggest victory of the Bubamara Association is that they fought for a change in legislation so that people with disabilities can now work without fear of losing their rights, i.e., disability benefits, as has been the case so far.
Namely, it was Buba Bar who contributed to the change of national policy through amendments to the law, which ensured that persons with disabilities can now work without being deprived of disability benefits or reducing any rights.
Buba Bar will also be an education center, but also an example to other caterers to recognize the potential of people with disabilities. Thus, Buba will at least become a place where people with disabilities will exercise their basic right – the right to work and, of course, a salary, and will have the opportunity to contribute to the community through their work.
In the end, the Bubamara Association points out that they hope that Buba Bar, as the first example of social entrepreneurship, will serve as a model for others in Croatia.
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