A cafe in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district is giving young people with disabilities and those who grew up under state protection an opportunity to gain work experience, develop daily life skills and become more involved in social life.
Down Kafe-Fırın, which has been operating for six months with the support of philanthropists, provides a safe environment where young people over the age of 18 can work, socialize and continue their education.
The project was founded by 80-year-old retired nurse and volunteer mother Havva Gürak, who said the initiative aims to offer young people more than financial support.
The young people visit the cafe during their free time from school and take part in various tasks, including preparing food and pizza, packaging orders, serving customers and communicating with visitors.
Through these responsibilities, they have the opportunity to develop confidence and practical skills while learning how to take responsibility in a workplace.
The cafe is supported by volunteer mothers who work without pay and help the young people feel comfortable and secure while they are there.
Gürak said some young people had initially been shy and reluctant to communicate, but their confidence had improved during the six months since the cafe opened.
She also stressed the importance of providing a safe environment for young people with disabilities, saying some workplaces may be willing to pay them but are not genuinely interested in having them as part of their working environment.
The cafe also provides reassurance to families. Gürak said the sense of security created by the project benefits not only the young people but also their mothers, who know that their children are spending their time in a supportive environment.
Volunteer mother Selma Çetinkaya, who has been involved in the initiative for three years, said the young people are able to spend their days at the cafe safely before returning home.
“They come here safely with their mothers, spend their day here and go home peacefully,” Çetinkaya said.
The project is also connected to the broader effort to support young people who leave state care after turning 18. “Hope Homes,” established under the Ministry of Family and Social Services, provide family-like living environments for young people who have grown up under state protection. They also support young people with disabilities as they transition from institutional care to more independent living.
At Down Kafe-Fırın, the young people work part-time, are insured and receive half-day wages. However, Gürak said the primary goal is not simply to provide an income, but to give them work experience, social skills and a better quality of life.
She said even small mistakes should be met with understanding and patience, as the young people need an environment where they can learn without fear of being judged.
The cafe’s name, Down Kafe, can sometimes lead people to assume that it exclusively serves people with Down syndrome. Gürak said this was not the case, noting that the young people involved in the project have different disabilities and backgrounds, including those who grew up under state protection.
Orders placed at the cafe also contribute directly to sustaining the project and supporting the young people. The cafe accepts orders from customers outside the neighborhood and aims to reach more people who want to contribute to the initiative.
For Gürak and the volunteer mothers, the changes seen among the young people during the cafe’s first six months are among the most important results of the project.
Young people who were once hesitant have begun communicating more confidently, taking responsibility and even traveling independently.
The cafe hopes to expand awareness of its work and create more opportunities for young people with disabilities to participate in work and social life.
