A report from "Kashalata" cafe - a place where neurodiverse youth work
- Ashraf Hajiyev
- Sep 29
- 2 min read
On one of the quiet streets of Baku, a cafe opens its doors every day with great hopes for its customers. Coffee served to a customer here is not just a hot drink, but also a symbol of sincerity, understanding and acceptance by society. This place is the first and only inclusive cafe in Azerbaijan, “Kashalata” cafe. The difference here from other places is that the people serving customers in the cafe are not ordinary employees. Most of the people working in the place are young people with neurodiversity, that is, with autism or Down syndrome. They not only demonstrate their work skills at “Kashalata” cafe, but also prove the possibility of integration into society. After all, the opportunities for integration into society are very important for people with neurodiversity.
AZERTAC employees visited “Kashalata” cafe to get acquainted with the activities of the place.
Young people with autism offer their hope over a cup of coffee
As soon as you open the door and enter “Kashalata” cafe, you are greeted by another world. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee coming from inside, the smell of fresh pastries coming out of the oven, and delicious steam of cooking food immediately make you feel warm and homely. Young people working with a smile in the kitchen and hall attract attention. Some of them are assistant baristas (a person who prepares and serves coffee), some are waiters, and others are assistant chefs. Each of them is busy with their own work: some wipe the tables, someone makes coffee for guests, and another arranges freshly baked pies on the table. The most impressive thing is that all these delicious dishes are prepared and served by young people with neurodiversity. Their every movement, every sincere smile is a message to society that “We can do it too.” A cup of coffee or hot tea brought to the table here is not just a drink, but also the result of great hard work and love. That is why the flavors here not only linger on the palate, but also touch the heart.
Aytan Eynalova, co-founder of “Kashalata” cafe and head of “Birgə və Sağlam” Public Association, is a mother of a 22-year-old autistic young man. The difficulties she experienced as a parent years ago inspired her to open a new path in this field.
“Since 2017, we have been teaching work skills to people with neurodiversity. Here, they learn not only how to work, but also independent living skills. “Kashalata” may be a small cafe, but its message is very big. We show that anything is possible when the right opportunity is created,” A. Eynalova added.
Currently, the cafe employs 10 young people. One of them has Down syndrome and nine are suffering from autism. These young people, who work as barista assistants, cook assistants, and waiters, greet customers with a smile, deliver orders, prepare delicious dishes, and keep the cafe tidy.
Source of the news: https://azertag.az/xeber/neyromuxtelif_genclerin_chalisdigi_mekan___kashalata_kafeden__reportaj__video-3765059
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