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In the midst of the worst economic and energy crisis Cuba has faced in decades, a café in Havana employs a dozen young people with Down syndrome and autism spectrum disorder, who find there a genuine space for social and labor integration, reported EFE.
The establishment is called Liva, recognizable by its bright yellow facade at the corner of Mazón and Neptuno, in the central Havana neighborhood of Vedado.
His name pays tribute to Liván Valle, one of the hosts of the café, who has Down syndrome and is the son of Mariolis Escobar, director of the inclusive project Cielos Abiertos, from which this initiative arises.
"Like us, our children have dreams: they want a profession and compensation for it, to feel empowered. And I believe Liva contributes to that," Escobar stated to the EFE agency.
The venture opened its doors on March 21, driven by Escobar along with his family and in collaboration with other parents of young people with intellectual disabilities.
The idea emerged in February when the Cuban government activated an emergency plan to conserve fuel, which readjusted working conditions in the state sector, leaving many of these young people at home without any activity.
Although the context was not conducive to optimism, Escobar chose that precise moment to create a space where his children and those of other families could work and receive compensation.
Young people, aged between 20 and 35, work as waiters or kitchen helpers for which they receive about 1,000 pesos daily, equivalent to just under two dollars at the informal exchange rate.
Among the workers identified by EFE are Martha Fernández, 27 years old; Claudia Sosa, 33; Richard Pérez, 24; and Andy Muñoz, 22, in addition to Liván Valle himself.
The café has about six tables, each with chairs that have ribbons of different colors on the backs, a system designed to make work easier.
"When the boys take the order, they position themselves by color at each table and know which customer to deliver it to, as they don't memorize the locations by numbers," Escobar explained.
The team also includes a special education specialist and a psychologist, and rotating shifts have been established so that each young person can work at least twice a week due to the limited space of the facility.
During the visit of EFE, Richard Pérez stated that he serves customers but wants to be a chef in the future: "I am capable," he claimed.
Liván Valle, for his part, referred to his colleagues with an emotionally charged phrase: "They are the souls of the Liva project."
Yamilé García, mother of Martha Fernández, summarized the impact of the space on families: "Liva has made our children feel useful, fulfilled, and committed to a specific task."
According to official Cuban data on disability, Down syndrome has a prevalence of about nine children for every 10,000 live births on the island, and by 2025, around 3,500 individuals within the autism spectrum had been registered.
Although many people with Down syndrome have the potential to work according to various studies, their actual inclusion in the job market remains challenging, which makes initiatives like Liva especially valuable in the current Cuban context.
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