People with Love Syndrome serve between tables in “Sucette” Café in Damascus

Just in the “Sucette” Cafe in Damascus, you will be welcomed by waiters and waitresses with Down Syndrome, who are serving  the tables and preparing drinks for clients.

This coffee shop is the first  project of its kind in Syria and in the Arab world, and it was officially launched in 2022 with the support of Mrs. Asmaa Al-Assad, according to Mrs.  Kholoud Rajab, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the “Juzour” Association, which carried out the café’s project.

Mrs. Rajab told Syria Times e-newspaper that the first step for opening the “Sucette” café was taken during “Sham Brings Us Together” Festival in 2018 where the “Juzour” Association started to try running a coffeeshop , which hired people with Love Syndrome [Down Syndrome], for one month.

“The project of the café has several goals such as empowering People With Down Syndrome and integrating them with community and vice versa to  convey a message that those people exist in our community and they need job opportunities just like everyone else. In the association we have around 200 people with Down Syndrome… 33 of them are working in the café on a shift system,” she added.

Mrs. Rajab, who is a lawyer, made it clear that the segment of people with Down Syndrome was marginalized in the past  and there was a negative reaction towards it.

“This segment has the right to have this chance to tell the community that it exists and it could work and be active… The project proved the success of the idea that has positive impacts on the people with Down Syndrome and their families. This segment is kind and pure from inside and they carry their responsibility well.” she declared.

She went on to say: “The café has a limited number of workers – 65, including people with Down Syndrome, people injured in the war and people with determination [People with Disabilities]. We have selected brown uniforms with orange rims because orange gives positive power.

Mrs. Rajab in addition indicated that “Sucette” is the French word for  lolipop which is being used to help People with Down Syndrome speak . Sucette is sweet and they are sweet  people.

She gave us a brief idea about the Jouzor Association, saying that it was established by the end of 2016 and it has programs targeting people with determination and women, and it has center for children of unknown parentage.

The association also offers psychological and social support for all segments in the community. Our association plays a development role..The Board of the Directors of the association is composed of 7 members, while the number of the  members of the executive staff is 20 and the volunteer staff is 100. We held many activities in several governorates in Syria, in Sweida, Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Lattakia and Tartous. We do not have branches in the other governorates,” she clarified.

At a personal level, working in humanitarian field has pushed Mrs. Rajab to see the world from other aspects . She feels that she needs people with Down Syndrome more than they need her. She has learned the meaning of purity and love from them.

Waiter Ahmad Samakeh, told us: “ I enjoy my work here.  I offer coffee , tea.. And I have an experience in acting.. I played a role in “Jawqet Aziza” series.”

For her part, waitress Reham Qattan, said: “I am happy to work here.. When I take my salary, I save it to buy biscuits made of chocolate.”

Another waitress Reem said: “I have  been working here for a long time. I love my work,  I love to see people and to talk to them.. I have a lot of friends .. I like to buy accessories when I take my salary.”

Interviewed by: Basma Qaddour