“My father - Henk Smit - runs an organic bakery for 40 years now,” explains Marijn. “He’s always been kind of a pioneer. He started quite some companies in his life and grew from a small business to something really big, eventually meaning the ‘human dimension’ was completely gone. At that point, he decided to cut back in size, because he had the feeling that 'certain people also needed to be able to play a role’. And that's how the concept of Driekant was born.” Piet and Marijn Smit are now running Driekant: Piet is the baker and Marijn takes care of the commercial side of Driekant.
For many years now, Driekant shows how things can be different in the social economy. “20 years ago it was very new to start working with people who needed some extra care and attention, especially in a commercial business. Our main reasons for existence are the products and the customers. We’re not a sheltered workshop, in the sense that providing care is not our only focus. We just look at what skills these people have and try to fit them in our work processes in place."
“We often work with apprenticeship programs, with people who need special attention or care. These can be people with a light mental handicap, but also people who are living on benefits for too long and need a reintegration program. It’s not so much our intention to train them as a baker, but we try to give them a place in society. We allow them to establish a working rhythm again, so they can move on to a regular job. The certificate that they get from us, gives them an advantage when looking for a new employer. It shows that they are motivated to work and that they also have certain skills."
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