Deaf Jamaican Entrepreneurs Crafting Coffee With a Mission
Deaf Can! Coffee Empowers Deaf Community in Kingston, Jamaica
Deaf Can! Coffee, a unique social enterprise based in Kingston, Jamaica, is making waves in the city's downtown area. Established in 2015, the café is more than just a place to enjoy quality coffee and homemade meals; it's a hub for empowering deaf individuals through training and employment opportunities.
Located on the campus of the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf, Deaf Can! Coffee had its grand opening on March 17, 2015, and a year later, expanded its operations with a new, fully equipped training facility, also funded by Digicel Foundation. The café serves coffee, pastries, and meals, providing a welcoming and vibrant space for both the deaf community and the general public.
The enterprise places a strong emphasis on the professional and personal growth of its deaf baristas. They embody the core values of teamwork, hard work, integrity, professionalism, and Deaf pride. Deaf Can! Coffee actively participates in community events and markets, such as the Conuco Market, enhancing visibility and engagement for deaf professionals in Jamaica.
The inspiration for Deaf Can! Coffee came from a visit to the village of Top Hill in St. Elizabeth, where the team met deaf farmer Evelyn Clarke. The café's logo represents the Jamaican Sign Language expression for coffee. The beautiful, glossy counter of blue mahoe wood was crafted by the residents of the Jamaica Deaf Village.
Deaf Can! Coffee offers more than just a cup of coffee. It sells roasted coffee and merchandise, including T-shirts and mugs bearing its logo. The venture also plans to branch out from drinks to a café menu in the near future. Kemoy Campbell, an alumnus of the school and tech entrepreneur, designed Deaf Can! Coffee's website and will be visiting in the summer on an internship to design a "self-order kiosk."
The café is managed by Carlyle Gabbidon, who originally trained as a tiler. Gabbidon, along with another employee, Fabian Jackson, has expressed feelings of being hurt by the labels used for deaf people in Jamaica. Deaf Can! Coffee has partnerships with organizations like Respect Jamaica, working towards a more inclusive and tolerant society.
Deaf graphic designer Justin Forbes is working on the logos for two new Deaf Can! Coffee products, Nitro Cold Brew and Cold Coffee Energy Drink. The headquarters of Deaf Can! Coffee received funding for solar energy power from Digicel Foundation. Co-founder Blake Widmer aims to create "a collective, healthy and supportive culture" in Deaf Can! Coffee.
In February, Deaf Can! Coffee welcomed special guest Claudia Gordon, the first deaf, black, female attorney-at-law in the United States. The café does not have a "drop in" café open to the public but is mobile, serving coffee at meetings, expos, and commercial events.
For more information about Deaf Can! Coffee, visit their website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages.
- Deaf Can! Coffee, a social enterprise in Kingston, Jamaica, offers more than just food-and-drink, embodying lifestyle principles through its training and employment opportunities for the deaf community.
- The café, active on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, works towards raising awareness and promoting education-and-self-development within the deaf community by participating in events and markets.
- Beyond coffee, the venture is expanding into entertainment, with Justin Forbes designing logos for new products such as Nitro Cold Brew and Cold Coffee Energy Drink, and Kemoy Campbell planning to design a self-order kiosk, enhancing the café's offerings and further emphasizing their involvement in technology and innovation, as well as sports through their partnerships with organizations working towards a more inclusive society.
