The Chai Spot
Chai, or cha, plays a prominent role in South Asian culture and society. From drinking it with siblings for breakfast on a Sunday morning or serving it to first-time guests, it symbolizes familiarity, kindness, respect, and hospitality. In fact, it provided an avenue for connection and dialogue between two people from different cultures, whose families struggled to connect with each other due to long-established prejudice and biases. In short, it laid the foundation of a union between two people and families, a means of overcoming social challenges and reaching a point of interconnection.
Khalida Brohi, a Pakistani activist, founded The Chai Spot with her husband, David Barron in Sedona, Arizona, before establishing a second location in Manhattan, New York. Brohi’s cousin was killed in an honor killing in Pakistan, an event that altered the course of her life, kickstarting the beginning of her activism and fight to provide the women of Pakistan with leadership, financial, and educational opportunities. From joining WAKE UP, an international organization dedicated to ending domestic violence, to creating the Youth and Gender Development Program (YGDP), to launching Sughar, a nonprofit organization that provides Pakistani women with economic opportunities, she finally founded The Chai Spot (which is just as political as her last endeavors).
The Chai Spot’s interior is covered with beautiful, colorful, and unique Pakistani art, Kashmiri rugs, sofas, and pillows, creating a cozy atmosphere for those who enter. From traditional cardamom chai to iced dirty chai, the establishment offers a multitude of chai and South Asian snacks such as samosas, to introduce people to the culture while also bringing a piece of home to those who need it.
The Chai Spot also creates opportunities for villages in Pakistan, namely the Balochistan region, where Brohi is from. The art surrounding the interior (and that The Chai Spot is known for) is handcrafted by Pakistani artisans, who are paid for their work and labor. It also provides the women of rural Pakistan with grants to begin small businesses, encouraging and paving the way for financial independence and stability for Pakistani women, something that is not necessarily prioritized otherwise. Additionally, through The Chai Spot, Brohi and her husband have been able to open schools in Pakistan, educating about 150 children annually in Balochistan and 40 children in Kotri, Sindh.
The Chai Spot not only satisfies one’s tastebuds and provides Instagram-worthy photos, but it also significantly changes the lives of women and children in Pakistan – so give it a visit.
Sources
Ali, Salman. “‘Seeing My Cousin Murdered in the Name of Honour Required a Strong Response.’” Daily Times, 21 June 2018, dailytimes.com.pk/256044/seeing-my-cousin-murdered-in-the-name-of-honour-required-a-strong-response/.
Brohi, Khalida (October 2014). “How I Work to Protect Women From Honor Killings”. TED.
Londergan, Betty. “Fighting Honor Killings in Pakistan with Fashion.” HuffPost, 7 Dec. 2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/honor-killings-pakistan_b_2619597.
https://www.thechaispot.com/