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Cafe Run by Special Needs Employees Opens in Kuwait

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Terry Cullen

Aug 8, 2023

Kuwait

Categories:

Social, Special Needs, Employment

Originally published September 17, 2021.


The Kuwait News Agency and Kuwait Times newspaper reported that Cafe 312, a cafe run by 10 special needs employees opened. It is the first of its kind in the country. The cafe serves coffee and other hot and cold beverages along with sandwiches, light snacks and desserts.


The cafe’s Facebook page and Instagram page has pictures and videos of employees communicating with both spoken and sign languages. The cafe is located in Al Dalal Mall in Kuwait City. Coffee mugs and cafe walls are emblazoned alike with sayings such as “A Place for All”, “I See You As Well As You See Me”, “We Are Capable and Powerful”, “It’s Our Abilities That Count”, “All You Need Is Love (and more coffee)”, “Keep Calm. It’s Only An Extra Chromosome” and “Don’t Dis My Ability”, messages of empowerment for people with special needs.


People are arguably the most important asset a community has. Yet many communities marginalize, minimize, ignore, segregate and/or institutionalize some of their people, intentionally or unintentionally and shortchange the community’s economic, social and cultural vibrancy. There are so many possibilities to reintegrate your community’s human assets creating new and interesting opportunities to strengthen your neighborhood, your community, your hometown. The 3-12 Cafe is a powerful example. Other suggestions include: street fairs to showcase ethnic communities in your hometown; creating ethnographies of the people in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods to create community historical storybooks; partnering chefs from local restaurants to teach children the art and joy of cooking; neighborhoods partnering together to have outdoor community dinners with their senior citizens; creating a YouTube video channel for your community with at-risk teenagers; partnering the senior community with local hospitals to help sick children; or opening your own 3-12 Cafe with your special needs or homeless communities. You are limited only by your imagination.


The humanity, livability and competitive capability of your community starts with leveraging all the assets that make your community as unique as your fingerprint. Are you ready to help your community evolve to the next level?


Photo by the Kuwait Times.

Source:

Source:

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Catalog #:

0721.100.01.092421

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