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Gallery|Human Rights

Dobre Dobre: A coffeehouse for Slovakia’s homeless

Volunteers and authorities estimate that there are around 5,000 homeless people in Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava.

Dobre Dobre: A coffeehouse for Slovakia''s homeless
'The philosophy of this place is that people on their way back from the streets work with regular employees,' Sergej Kara, left, tells Al Jazeera. [Jana Cavojska/Al Jazeera]
By Jana Cavojska
Published On 16 Jul 2017

Bratislava, Slovakia – An upbeat melody drifts from the piano strings, softening the steady clatter of silverware on dishes at Dobre Dobre café. 

The coffeehouse situated at an intersection where a pair of the historic old city’s chalky alleyways meet is known for hiring the homeless residents of Bratislava as waiters. 

Inside, the tables are full. The waitresses and waiters scurry back and forth between table and the bar, fetching orders of coffee and bites.

“There is no way when you’re homeless to go to work when you have nowhere to sleep, eat or rest,” says Sergej Kara, chairman of the Vagus Civic Association, which administers the café.

In December 2016, an official census placed the capital’s homeless population at 2,064, but authorities and volunteers estimate that the number exceeds 5,000, according to local media reports.

READ MORE: Life in Slovakia’s Roma slums – Poverty and segregation

Dobre Dobre: A coffeehouse for Slovakia''s homeless
The café opened in 2014. Sergej Kara and others saw Bratislava's homeless population struggling to survive in a society that formally excludes them in many ways. [Jana Cavojska/Al Jazeera]
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Dobre Dobre: A coffeehouse for Slovakia''s homeless
Dobre Dobre is designed to help homeless people earn money while also building up their resume. [Jana Cavojska/Al Jazeera]
Dobre Dobre: A coffeehouse for Slovakia''s homeless
Jana Danisova, a 55-year-old who has struggled with homelessness and domestic abuse for years, works at Dobre Dobre. [Jana Cavojska/Al Jazeera]
Dobre Dobre: A coffeehouse for Slovakia''s homeless
Kara stresses that Dobre Dobre is not a solution so much as a model that other groups can also adopt in the absence of effective laws. [Jana Cavojska/Al Jazeera]
Dobre Dobre: A coffeehouse for Slovakia''s homeless
Dobre Dobre employs at least six homeless people at any given time, with the hope of helping them to pull themselves out of debt and earn a modest income for a one-year period while they search for other employment opportunities. [Jana Cavojska/Al Jazeera]
Dobre Dobre: A coffeehouse for Slovakia''s homeless
The cafe gives homeless employees the opportunity to be paid in cash tips and avoid having their salaries affected if they are in debt. [Jana Cavojska/Al Jazeera]
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Dobre Dobre: A coffeehouse for Slovakia''s homeless
While the government provides protected employment for disabled people in some large businesses, Dobre Dobre hopes similar protective measures will be implemented for chronically homeless people in the future. [Jana Cavojska/Al Jazeera]
Dobre Dobre: A coffeehouse for Slovakia''s homeless
Dobre Dobre's founders worry that attempts to convince government officials to improve the homelessness situation have fallen on deaf ears. [Jana Cavojska/Al Jazeera]