People with HIV are constantly on an uphill path when it comes to battling societal stigma. In order to bust all these regressive ideas, child rights activist Dr Kallol Ghosh has started ‘Cafe Positive’ in Kolkata. The cafe is run by staff members who are all HIV-positive. Speaking to News18, Dr Ghosh explained that it has long been his dream to start an initiative with persons diagnosed with HIV after they turned 18 years of age. His cafe is a platform where HIV-positive people serve drinks and food. “This is the first time that HIV positive people are running such a beautiful cafeteria in the heart of Kolkata,” he said. Dr Ghosh and company also have an aim of opening over 30 such cafeterias all across the country and have shortlisted 800 people for training. Dr Ghosh has also taken the initiative to provide training to these people as he urges people to not isolate people with this condition. “They are just like everyone else, and they have every right to be respected and earn money.”
HIV continues to be a major global public health issue. According to the World Health Organisation, it has claimed 36.3 million lives so far. There is no particular cure for HIV yet. However, with increasing access to effective HIV prevention, diagnosis and treatment, the condition has become a manageable chronic health condition.
News18 also spoke to a staff member at the cafe who is responsible for handling the kitchen and marketing. “I can cook sandwiches, burgers, french fries, hot and cold beverages,” he said. “Some customers know about our condition and some don’t. However, we always inform them.” He explained that sometimes, people don’t react positively but on others, they take it as it is: something normal. He has grown up in a hostel and has been working in the cafe for the past three years.
The cafe is known for its aromatic coffee and a buzzing environment. It is usually filled with professionals, college students, and young adults. All these teenagers who run the cafe now were abandoned by their families after learning that they were HIV positive.
A regular customer of the cafe said, “It gives me a good feeling inside the cafe. I stay close by so I drop in whenever there is time. I have been coming here for quite some time now. These people are as normal as the next person, so sharing a cup of coffee does not make any difference. They are normal people.”
As times have been changing, it is always good to see people being progressive. However, there is still a lot that needs to be done. With people like Dr Ghosh, a change has started and we must make sure that it goes in a positive direction.
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