Café Positive is an initiative of Mr. Kallol Ghosh, an impact entrepreneur, Founder, and Director of Organization For Friends Energies and Resources (OFFER), a non-profit organization. OFFER extends its hands of support to underprivileged children to make their life better and provide them with the required medical treatment, education, and relevant training to make their lives sustainable. Anandaghar, located in Kolkata, India, is an eighteen years old initiative undertaken by Organization For Friends, Energies & Resources (OFFER), which is a palliative care program exclusively for Children Living with HIV/AIDS (CLHA).
All staff in the Café are inmates of Anandaghar. As per the Juvenile Justice Act, children above 18 years of age cannot stay in the home, and the Café started with the objective of creating livelihood for these young adults. Café Positive began its journey on 14th July 2018 in a small ten-by-ten garage at Jodhpur park, Kolkata. Café Positive has survived the societal taboo from the very beginning. With people looking down upon the whole idea of a café run by HIV+ people. Yet with the courage and persistent café Positive opened and is running successfully. People gradually broke barriers and visited the café.
We fought against numerous taboos and challenges to relocate ourselves at 64A, Lake View Road, Kolkata – 700029. We believe that drinking a cup of coffee should not have any boundaries, we are setting a mark that HIV is nothing but an age-old myth fed by our misconceptions. Café Positive continuously endeavors to challenge the myths and notions about the disease, boost the confidence of the affected population through social and economic inclusion and look forward to becoming a single window for this marginalized community. We are now in contact with Community-Based Organizations to recruit more resources from the Positive People Network groups.
Café Positive provides awareness by learning about this initiative through media, we hope people start understanding that people living with HIV can be included in most professions, and the means of transmission of HIV are limited and can be avoided. Thus, Café Positive is helping youths to become self-sustainable, and helping the community to accept people living with HIV. We aim to expand this dream both nationally and internationally, creating opportunity for more youth living with HIV. Our intention is to let them get recognition working in a mainstream business.
The Café is a happening place filled with positivity and vibrations. It attracts the crowd of all generations. To make the days fun filled, a lot of events take place. A few of them are Open mic evenings, Standup comedy, where the customers have a good laugh and an entertaining evening. Apart from this Band performances take place, where the crowd sings along with the band. For corporate firms Café Positive is their place of choice for their small corporate meetings. With affordable prices and a cozy- soothing ambiance, the cafe is the perfect place to spend your time.
Creating a better place for the HIV Positive youngsters by taking the initiative of changing the mindset about AIDS.
Café Positive is helping youths to become self-sustainable, and helping the community to accept people living with HIV by creating more opportunity for HIV youth.
Impromptu Standup or Open Mic Nights where the crowd laughs their heart out as well enjoy an evening of entertainment.
Cozy and soothing ambiance filled with positivity where the crowd sings along with the band and enjoy Standup comedies.
Asia's first-ever café in the heart of Kolkata that runs entirely by a group of HIV-positive youngsters with the effort of letting them get recognition working in a mainstream business.
Bringing people of every age group together and creating a warm and positive environment for every coffee lover out there.