Mitti Cafe | Alina Alam | TEDxMAIS

The Speaker's Journey and Mitti Cafe

• The speaker was nervous about giving a presentation and asked the audience to pray that she wouldn't start coughing on stage.
• The speaker had experienced several throat issues before the presentation.

The Speaker's Inspiration

• The speaker shared a story about a little girl who was told to believe in magic, compassion, and courage.
• The speaker met a man through a documentary who changed her life.

Nero's Cruelty

• Nero, an emperor in the ancient Roman Empire, was known for his wealth and power.
• After winning a significant battle, Nero decided to throw a grand party.
• He invited royalty from across seven kingdoms to the celebration.
• To illuminate the party, Nero ordered the burning of prisoners and poor people who were considered waste.
• The speaker describes an experience where they witnessed a performance by Nero, a Roman emperor known for his cruelty and injustice.
• The speaker was deeply disturbed by the fact that thousands of people could celebrate and enjoy themselves while others were suffering and dying.
• The speaker realized that by not taking action against injustice, they were complicit in it, similar to the guests who attended Nero's performances.

The Power of Inclusion

• The speaker realized that the issue is not the number of people with disabilities, but rather the perception of disability.
• The speaker wanted to change the perception of disability and see the abilities of people with disabilities.
• The speaker decided to use food as a common denominator to connect people.
• Food can be used to generate sustainable livelihoods for people with disabilities, ensuring they receive regular income.
• In India, there are approximately 70 million people with disabilities, representing a significant portion of the population.
• Mitti Cafe aims to create awareness about inclusion through every meal and beverage served.

The Birth of Mitti Cafe

• The cafe was started with no initial capital and faced multiple rejections.
• The founder initially lacked knowledge about capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX).
• The speaker emphasizes the importance of community support for entrepreneurs, particularly when resources are scarce.
• The speaker recounts how 90% of the equipment for their first cafe, Mitti Cafe, was donated by strangers.
• These donations included items like spoons, a second-hand oven, a second-hand fridge, and tissue papers.
• The local electrician refused to charge for the electrical work, and local vegetable vendors donated vegetables that were used to create lampshades.
• The first Mitti Cafe was located in a dilapidated tin shed that was cleaned by students.

The Impact of Mitti Cafe

• Kirti, who initially struggled to hold a cup of coffee due to her disability, is now the manager of the first Mitti Cafe.
• Mitti Cafe has employed hundreds of people with disabilities across its 42 locations.
• These individuals have served over 11 million meals and beverages.
• The speaker discusses the importance of creating awareness about inclusion through every meal and beverage served.

Stories of Transformation

• The speaker highlights the story of Bhairappa, a young boy with physical and intellectual disabilities, who was rejected from over 80 jobs.
• Bhairappa is presented as a representative of the many stories of people with disabilities that often go untold and unnoticed.
• A young boy named Alina Alam was interviewed for a job at Mitti Cafe.
• He was unfamiliar with the concept of wearing a slip and even brushing his teeth.
• Today, Alina Alam is the team leader at the Bangalore International Airport.
• The speaker believes that the larger challenge is to show people with disabilities their abilities after years of being told they are not good enough.
• Bhairappa was told that his mother died because of him and that he was a child of ill omen.
• Bhairappa was also told that he would never find anyone to love him because of his disability.
• Bhairappa met Rupa at Mitti Cafe.
• Bhairappa and Rupa were both working at different companies, Bhairappa at Infosys and Rupa at Wipro.
• Bhairappa and Rupa got married three years ago.
• Mitti Cafe has many love stories, including those of Ratna and Basavaraj, who are both wheelchair users, and Sushma and Sumukha, who are both on the autism spectrum.
• Gouri and her partner are also a couple who met at Mitti Cafe.
• Suman and his wife are both blind.

The Power of Determination

• The story of Kirti, a woman who started with no resources or experience, highlights the power of determination and faith.
• The speaker emphasizes the importance of faith, implementation, and a good team in achieving success.
• The speaker mentions that Kirti's journey from starting with nothing to being at the Mumbai International Airport is a testament to these principles.

Facing Challenges

• The speaker was rejected by every incubation center in the country when they started Mitti Cafe.
• One incubation center invited them to pitch their idea to a panel of three judges.
• The speaker was excited to pitch to the judges, who were prominent figures in their field.
• The speaker was able to see the judges' scores after their pitch.
• The judges gave low marks for the scalability and cash flow analysis of the business.
• The speaker received low marks in several categories, including entrepreneurship, sustainability, and passion.
• The speaker was particularly disappointed by the low score in passion, as they felt it was their strongest asset.
• The speaker was faced with a difficult decision: to continue their studies in Hubli or to pursue their passion.
• The speaker ultimately decided to follow their heart and take a leap of faith.
• The speaker believes that having a strong belief in oneself is essential for success.

The Importance of Community

• The speaker discusses the importance of community support.
• They recount an experience where an electrician refused to accept payment for repairing their second-hand refrigerator.
• The electrician stated that his refusal to accept payment was his contribution to society.
• The speaker emphasizes the power of community and its importance for growth.
• The speaker also mentions a picture that represents the team members of their organization, highlighting that it is the first picture for each member.

The Power of Inclusion During a Pandemic

• Caroline has been a disability rights activist for 15 years.
• Tafiq, who has Down syndrome, has a dream to save money to help his family build their own house.
• Mitti Cafe provides a livelihood opportunity for people with disabilities.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, all 13 Mitti Cafes were forced to close.
• The closure impacted 100 team members with disabilities who were employed by the cafes.
• The organization supported these individuals and others who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
• The organization then returned to the community to provide support.
• The organization raised over 11 million dollars in less than 14 days.
• The organization faced a challenge when team members with disabilities, who were at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, expressed a desire to work and contribute.
• One team member, Hemant, has cerebral palsy and autism.
• The speaker emphasizes that not all disabilities are visible and that people with intellectual disabilities are often underestimated.
• The speaker's experience has been different from the common perception of people with disabilities.
• Hemant, who has cerebral palsy and autism, approached the organization with a vision to feed hungry people.
• Hemant's vision was to start cooking and ensure that no one would go hungry.
• The organization began cooking a few hundred meals and has since served over 6 million meals to economically vulnerable individuals.
• The organization's team members with disabilities have played a significant role in cooking and serving these meals.
• This initiative demonstrates the power of inclusion and the potential of individuals with disabilities when given the opportunity.

Expanding the Impact

• The Mitti Cafe project began at the India Coffee House, where the speaker met Manjula, a barista, and started with a small team.
• The project expanded to the Bakal International Airport, where it was inaugurated by Mr. Hari Mara, the Managing Director.
• The project then reached the Supreme Court of India, the highest judicial institution in the country, which helped raise awareness about disability inclusion.
• The President of India visited the Mitti Cafe, which further increased awareness about disability inclusion.
• Mitti Cafe is scheduled to open at the Rashtrapati Bhavan this month.
• The organization started food trucks during the COVID-19 pandemic when their cafes were closed.
• They launched Karuna Meals, a program that provided 6 million meals.
• They pivoted their business model to focus on corporate cafes when their existing cafes closed.
• They created the Mitti Good Gifts initiative to provide opportunities for individuals with severe disabilities.
• The Mitti Good Gifts initiative involves gifting items made by individuals with disabilities, providing them with a livelihood.

Motherhood and Entrepreneurship

• The speaker encountered investors when she began her entrepreneurial journey.
• The investors were hesitant to invest because she was pregnant.
• The speaker was also hesitant because she was entering uncharted territory with motherhood.
• The speaker traveled to three continents while pregnant with her son, Rehan.
• The speaker represented India at the United Nations and the Commonwealth.
• The speaker traveled to Singapore and Morocco for work.
• The speaker worked until the ninth month of pregnancy.
• The speaker acknowledges the support of other women and her husband.
• The speaker's organization, Mitti, is a women-led organization.
• Alina encourages people to pursue their passions and travel, emphasizing that their actions benefit not only themselves but also their communities.
• Alina's son, Oren, was born during her journey.
• Alina believes that motherhood strengthens her leadership skills, making her more resilient and vulnerable.
• Alina travels with Oren everywhere, and he has already taken over 100 flights at just 11 months old.

The Power of Choice

• The speaker traveled to the police station and the Supreme Court of India to open a cafe.
• The speaker was the youngest person to ever visit the Supreme Court of India.
• The speaker believes that empowerment is about having the freedom to choose.
• The speaker uses an analogy of a young girl throwing starfish back into the ocean to illustrate the importance of individual choice.
• A wise man asks a young girl what she is doing as she picks up starfish and throws them back into the ocean.
• The wise man questions the girl's actions, asking what difference it makes to the vast ocean with millions of starfish.
• The girl's actions change the wise man's perception of change, as he realizes that even small actions can make a difference.
• The girl picks up a starfish and throws it back into the water, telling the wise man that it makes a difference to that one starfish.

The Social Duty

• The speaker believes that everyone has a social duty to help those less fortunate.
• The speaker uses the example of Kirti to represent the billions of people around the world who lack economic independence and dignity.
• The speaker emphasizes that there are millions of young girls who will never attend school, millions of children who will never see daylight due to their gender, and millions who are homeless or have lost loved ones.
• It is a social duty to pay off the social debt.
• The speaker quotes a poet, translating it as "If not in my chest, then in yours, let the fire burn, somewhere."
• The speaker emphasizes that everyone will die someday, but regardless of whether they live or die, they should inspire at least one other person.
• The speaker believes that by inspiring one person, the world will change for the better.
• The speaker concludes by stating that the magic to change the world lies within each individual.