HIGHLIGHTS:
• Asia’s first cafe run by HIV positive staff has opened in Kolkata
• The cafe first opened in 2018
Asia’s first cafe run exclusively by HIV positive staff has opened in Kolkata. Kallol Ghosh major concern, where will these kids go?
“After the age of 18, one cannot stay at a home, according to juvenile justice law. Where will the children go after the homes? “They need to work,” Kallol Ghosh added.
Ghosh claims that he first started the cafe in 2018 and is now expanding it. Ghosh stated that he intends to open 30 additional similar cafés in Eastern India, and that he has selected 800 people for the training.
People reaction to the café!
The response to the cafe, however, has not always been pleasant, according to Ghosh. “Some folks become agitated. If they come and find out that one of the staff members is HIV positive, we explain everything to them, and the majority of them leave, Ghosh remarked.
Ghosh added that at first, the cafe’s neighbours were sceptical, but that they soon realised that HIV positive people are just like everyone else.
They are human like us said Ghosh
“A chef was one of the issues I had to deal with. I’m planning to open more of these cafés, and I’ll need expert assistance to assist these children. “I’ve been told by a chef that his family is against the place, therefore he won’t join,” Ghosh explained.
The cafe’s major goal is to not only raise HIV awareness and educate people about HIV-positive persons, but also to create jobs for those who are unemployed.
Professionals, college students, and young adults frequent the establishment, which is known for its coffee and sandwiches.
