SPECIAL PROJECT
The first social cafe-pizzeria in the city has been opened in the Kiev METRO Pochaina shopping center, where cooks, waiters and baristas are young people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities. The highlight of the Sunshine Cafe is the open kitchen, so visitors can watch the cooking process.
The goal of the project is to show that everyone can choose a profession and live fully, despite the circumstances. Indeed, before the start of a full-scale war, about 17,000 adults with Down syndrome lived in Ukraine, of which only 8 people were officially employed, Channel 24 reports.
When we faced all these problems, we decided that we ourselves must build the future of our children, so that they are full-fledged members of our society and that people are not afraid to communicate with them. Yes, and so that they communicate with people, meet new friends, so that they live a full life, – explained Alina Zhivago, founder of the public organization “Sunshine People”, the author of the idea of the Sunshine Cafe project.
Sunshine Cafe opened in Kyiv/Photo from the institution's Facebook
So far, the Sunshine Cafe menu includes 14 pizzas, among which everyone will definitely find their favorite.
METRO Ukraine helped to realize project and open Sunshine Cafe
METRO Ukraine has become a reliable partner of the social project. To support Sunshine Cafe, they provided a 150-square-meter premise, professional pizza baking equipment, kitchen utensils and cafe décor elements, and ingredients for baking social bread on preferential terms.
In addition, the company provides expert assistance with assortment selection and conducts professional consultations and culinary master classes for Sunshine Cafe employees.
METRO has always paid much attention to social responsibility, diversity and inclusion. The mission of this project is to create a world in which everyone has the right to be themselves, everyone has the right to socialization, has the right to development and employment,” said Elena Vdovichenko, General Director of METRO Ukraine.
And not only pizza is baked at Sunshine Cafe. Bakers prepare social bread for sale. Part of the production is planned to be transferred to the military of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and TRO, as well as to give away free of charge to low-income segments of the population. The institution is already accepting visitors in the capital and is working in the format of online orders.
Sunshine Cafe was opened in the Kiev shopping center METRO Pochaina: how it was – watch the video
