What’s on the menu? Warmth, kindness and joy. Seva Café is a unique restaurant in Ahmedabad where you go not just to satiate your palate but also your spirit. Seva Café works on a contribute-as-you-wish model. This means that at the end of a wholesome meal, cooked and served lovingly, you decide how much you want to pay. Interestingly, you need not even pay back in money – you could remove a bit of your time and come help the volunteers chop vegetables or serve – that’s payment enough!
Seva Café believes that there is a unique joy in selfless giving and it is this idea that has kept the café running and even making profits! The profits, by the way, go for empowering the poor. In fact, whether the café makes money or not, each month some amount is donated for the welfare of others.
Seva Café is a classic model for economic interdependency. Most people who come here end up giving more than they would at another restaurant because of the deeply enriching experience. In fact, a young boy called Devang from Ahmedabad, shares his experience by saying that his decision to volunteer at Seva changed his outlook towards life. Earlier, he celebrated his birthday with great pomp and show, but after enjoying the beauty of selfless serving, this birthday he decided to buy bananas and pavbhaji for all the beggars, ragpickers and sweepers he could find. Devang’s father called him to inquire why he wasn’t at home on his birthday. Devang responded, “Papa, today I am feeding those who don’t get to eat.” Indeed, a café with a difference…to make a difference.
Life Positive(April 2007)
