TRUE HEART CAFE - THE FIRST CAFE IN CYPRUS BASED ON PEOPLE WITH AUTISM - Filenews 14/3 by Andrea Mavrou
A truly innovative project is making its appearance in the center of Nicosia, with the aim of making a substantial contribution to the enhancement of social inclusion. This is the True Heart Café, which recently opened its doors and is already welcoming its first customers. A remarkable initiative that aims to offer people on the autism spectrum meaningful job opportunities and active participation in the daily life of the city.
The café is an initiative of the non-governmental organization (NGO) Voice for Autism and serves as a place of collaboration and inclusion, where employees have the opportunity to be trained and gain valuable work experience through their daily presence in the space.
For many of the employees, this is their first professional experience and an opportunity they have been waiting for years. As they tell "F", the café is a place where they can create friendships, evolve and feel that they have a valuable place in society. Above all, they are in an environment in which they feel happy, accepted and part of a team.
Among the employees is Stella, who, in addition to her new job in the café, is also a cycling champion at the Special Olympics. As she explains, for many years he was unable to find a job in Cyprus, even though he wanted it very much. "I wanted to work somewhere on my own because everyone works outside of me," she says. Today she speaks with a smile about her new daily life, emphasizing that she feels very happy that she finally found people with whom she can work together.
Konstantinos is also in the café team, who speaks enthusiastically about his work at True Heart Café. "I feel very proud to work here," he says, explaining that through his work he has already made many friends. However, working in the café is not the only thing that makes him happy. Konstantinos is very fond of music, and in the space there is a small stage with musical instruments where he can play the guitar and sing. In general, music is something that many of the children there love.
For Alex, the True Heart Café is his first professional experience. "I feel like I fit in somewhere," she says characteristically. In the café he has learned to make coffee and serve the people, while his daily life has now acquired a new rhythm. As he explains, his life is no longer limited to the home. "I like to come here because I'm bored at home," she says with a smile.
Training and daily support
Behind the operation of the café is a team of professionals, who support the children in every step of the process. Georgia, an occupational therapist and training manager, explains that before someone starts working, their skills are evaluated to find the position they can best respond to.
The most important thing, as he notes, is for each person to have a role in the café and feel that they are contributing. As he explains, some work in the preparation of coffee, others help in the kitchen, while others undertake the service or care of the space.
Employees have constant support throughout the day, with work coaches by their side from morning to afternoon. At the same time, special importance has been given to the configuration of the space, in order to create an environment that offers tranquility and safety. Upstairs there is a space used both for meetings and as a rest spot, where employees can take a break from the noise for a while when they need it.
The change that families see
For parents, the importance of such a place is even greater. Mrs. Soula, Konstantinos' mother, speaks with emotion about the change she sees in her son. "This particular café is something that should have been done years ago, because in Cyprus we are still far behind in terms of children on the autism spectrum," he says. As she states, the most important thing for her son is that here he is not treated as something different. "He is very happy because he feels that he can offer and produce work. Everyone speaks to him normally and he feels loved. He comes home happy. And it's not just my son who is happy to come here, but also myself."
How True Heart Café was born
True Heart Café (located at 10B Giannou Kranidioti Street in Nicosia) is the first social enterprise of its kind in Cyprus with the mission of substantial social inclusion. The president of the organization, Ellen Georgiou Pontikis, explains that the need for such an initiative became evident through the families' own experiences. "We noticed together with parents and professionals that there is a big gap after the age of 18. What happens when they finish school? There was nothing," he says.
The first step of the organization was to create conditions for independent living. Thus, two houses were created side by side in Lakatamia, where people on the autism spectrum can live in an environment that truly functions as their home. Today, six young people live in these houses, and several of them also work in the café.
For each of them, a job was found so that they could work at least once a week. However, it soon became clear that this was not enough, as there was a feeling that "they were doing us a favour." That's why, he says, "we wanted to bring autism into society." From this thought the idea of a social enterprise was born and thus the True Heart Café was born.
Creating True Heart Café was not an easy process. As Ms. Helen explains, the implementation of a social enterprise of this type requires significant preparation and support. The development of such a structure entails increased financial needs, as specialized training, continuous support and appropriate adaptation of the space are required to meet the needs of people with autism.
The idea was implemented with the support of the Department of Social Inclusion of the Deputy Ministry of Welfare, with which the operation plan of the company was drawn up. In fact, five of the people involved in the project are shareholders of the company, so they feel that the space is truly theirs. The contribution of the Andrey & Julia Dashin Foundation was also important. that helped start the project, while then other companies such as Eccombx, Dynamec, Wolt and Cablenet embraced the effort by offering support. "This shows that society is ready to support us," he says.
The original vision was for 12 people with autism to work in the café, along with other people from outside the spectrum. Today, however, the team has grown even more and now numbers 18 people.
As she emphasizes, the goal is not just to create a job. "Social integration is not just about giving a job to a child on the autism spectrum. We don't do anyone a favour. Integration is to change the climate, the dialogue. Here we created a space with a new language."
For her, the most important message is simple: "Everyone has a place in society." And she explains that the creation of the café was a way to give this place to people who had been left on the sidelines for years and have a lot to offer. She even cites Stella as an example, who for 12 years stayed at home without going anywhere. But today she is happy and active. As he notes, when these children do not have a place to belong, they are deeply affected and so are their families.
In closing, she does not hide her emotion for what they have achieved so far. "I hope we have opened the doors for other such social enterprises. Behind what we have created there is a dynamic team, but also the guys themselves who give us the strength and support us".
