Mumbai’s Magical Library Cafe Was Built By A Street Child For Street Children

Amin Sheikh is dripping wet from the incessant rains that have been pouring down when we pay him a visit. He says he hasn’t slept in months, tugging at his loose pants to indicate how much weight he has lost. And yet, the 34-year-old Amin seems unfazed as ever. Having run away from home at the tender age of five to live on Mumbai’s streets, one might deduce that hard work and hard times have been a running theme in his life. Leaning over the counter of his newly launched Bombay To Barcelona Library Cafe, he flashes the big smile that has become synonymous with his struggle.

The café has two large posters of the human pyramids that are common to Mumbai and Barcelona. With the recently concluded Janmashtami festival, it seems poetic that the towering salience of humanity has manifested in his café. Launched on Independence Day, this café employs boys and girls from Snehasadan, an NGO for street children. Everybody takes home the same salary for whatever work they do and even when it comes to customers, its equality above all else. It has taken five years of Amin’s life to bring this café to life alive by selling his self-published autobiographical book ‘Bombay Mumbai: Life is Life, I am Because of You’ at every street, signal, pavement that he could find. Translated in eight Indian and foreign languages, the book chronicles Amin’s Journey going from flight to fight mode.

Even before the book and café were in the picture though, Amin had already begun doing something considered largely unacceptable for those of his ilk—dreaming big. Pushed into child labour at the age of five and working at a tea stall where physical and verbal abuse was common, Amin ran away from his home in the slums, fearing repercussion when he accidentally broke three tea glasses. The freedom from getting beaten up every day by his step-father was short-lived when he was raped by people at railway stations. “They did anything and everything to my body that they could do,” he wrote in his book. “I was raped on the first night itself. I did not know what was happening. It was a hard lesson, being a kid on your own. I faced abuse on many occasions,” Amin said in an interview with firstpost.

Amin worked odd jobs by shining shoes at railway platforms, singing in local trains, rag picking, delivering newspapers, vending in trains, delivering milk, porting baggage (coolie), begging and more before finding out that his sister Sabira had also left their home searching for him. She was kidnapped later that day but escaped with a taxi driver’s help and found her brother again. Amin describes that moment as magic today but was very upset when Sister Seraphine found them at Dadar station. She worked with Snehasadan, which has helped thousands of street children find better lives and be reunited with their families. Amin did not trust her at her at first. In an interview with firstpost he said, “I just threatened Sister Seraphin with a stone and refused to go with her. The reason was because whenever people showed me sympathy and took me home, it was only for two things — to make me do the housework or to rape me,” Amin says. His trust in people, he says, was so completely shattered by then that he even doubted people with good intentions, like Sister Seraphine.”

Amin sent his sister along with her and was cajoled into joining them a few days later. Life changed for him with the love, warmth and friendship he found in the houses of Snehasadan in 1988. Father Placido Fonseca became his guardian and a trustworthy elder. His lack of interest in education is evident when he calls himself a “7th class, Ulti Palti Municipality pass.” He continues, “For me, real education is travel. Today, education is all about competition. We forget about the people around us. We are unconsciously running behind tags and labels of education. We only know how to count money, not lives. Allow children to do what they want to do. If you want to do something good, start from wherever you are right now,” he said.

Amin began working at his own newspaper vending business but the driving bug caught him. Along with his friend Suresh, he began learning how to drive and even acquired a license after selling his business. Soon Suresh left his employer and Amin was sent to replace him. Little did he know that he would become a member of that family and give 12 years of his life to them. He became the ‘Man Friday’ of Eustace Fernandes, the ad-man who made the Amul girl and many more memorable logos and advertisements. It is in his home that Amin started dreaming of a better life. With his help, he began his own tourist cab company Sneha Travels, through which he took tourists from around the world to see the Mumbai he grew up in. He started taking care of his family, while his sister Sabira became a nurse. What Amin really wanted now was to board a plane. When Fernandes asked him what did he want as a Christmas gift, he said he wanted to go to Barcelona. Fernandes had family in Barcelona and visited them every two years. “He wasn’t ready at first. I know he must have thought how can I take my driver to Barcelona. He gave me a hand-made card like he always gave everybody on special occasions and I didn’t want to open it because I was upset. When I did, I found out that he really was taking me to Spain,” said Amin.

“When I went with Eustace to the airport I was so scared. I was shivering and my hands were shaking. I would wonder if the policeman would let me in because he felt like God at that point. He had the power to reject me but now my thoughts have changed. Now I know he is just a watchman doing his duty,” he said nonchalantly.

Amin has travelled to many destinations in Europe but he remembers every vivid detail about his first. “I was shocked at what I saw in Barcelona. It really hit me in the pit of my stomach when I did not see a single child on the street in Barcelona. If there is a homeless child on the street there, it’ll be on the national news and everywhere in the media,” he said. It is there that he found quaint library cafes and got the idea of a place that really espouses equality for all. “In Barcelona and Paris, they have beautiful library cafes where people can enjoy a beverage and read books. The coffee is more affordable there than in India. Here it costs twice as much. In Spain, nobody asks you to get out of their café. When I went out with Eustace and his friends, I sat down on the floor near the table and they told me to not sit there. They asked me to join them and treated me with respect. They didn’t laugh at my language skills, instead they helped me. In India, if I go to a Starbucks, they would kick me out saying how come a driver is drinking coffee here. I wanted something quiet and peaceful where nobody was shouting and where there were paintings to look at,” he tells us.

Today, his café has a library at the end of the store where people can take the books in exchange for others. “We only accept books that have reviews and a note about the book from the owners. This way people come to know about others and their thoughts and feelings,” said Amin. This library café is also the result of a book. “I had heard about Oprah Winfrey and about how she helped a lot of people realise their dreams. So I wrote to Oprah telling her about my dream and requesting her to feature me in her show. Naturally, I did not hear back,” he told firstpost. ‘But that did not dampen his spirits. A former tour guest-turned-friend of Amin’s, Marta Miquel from Barcelona was volunteering with hospitals in Odisha and Nepal. These hospitals were in desperate need of electrical generators. To fund these generators, Miquel wrote a book and reached out to her contacts to help spread the word about the book — Amin being one on that list as well.“ I was surprised. I asked Marta, how can you write a book? You’re a doctor. But she told me, anyone who wants to write a book can jolly well write a book. She managed to raise enough funds for the hospitals. This got me thinking, why was I depending on others to start off my dream project?” Amin told firstpost.

With help from a boy called Sahir D’souza who grew up in front of Amin’s eyes, he began writing the book. Sahir’s parents were the neighbours of his old employer Eustace Fernandes. “Writer-journalist Dilip D’Souza and his wife, Vibha Kamat (Fernandes’ neighbours) edited the book that was self-published in 2012. It has been translated into Spanish, French, Catalan, German, Hebrew, Hindi and Marathi, while the Italian and Portuguese versions will be out next July,” reported mid-day.

Through his book, he realized the power of humanity and the difference between Indians and foreigners. “We have Raavan only in our country because everyone has ten faces. Everybody has been so welcoming and helpful abroad but here nobody is ready to give you a single chance or believe in you. I would stand on the road for 10 hours and not sell one book. In Spain, people took it upon themselves to sell my book for me,” he says.

People from Europe and America have written a song about his life, designed his website, opened up crowd-funding campaigns, designed T-shirts and even sold his books on the streets with him. “In the US, for instance, fashion designer Stephane Boss is selling a line of t-shirts whose proceeds will be donated to Sheikh’s coffee shop project. A Paris-based songwriter Arnaud Kerane, has written a song on Amin’s life that is available on iTunes and will be part of his debut album. In Spain, Sheikh’s book is being discussed in school classrooms and local radio stations. “By the end of this year, the book will also be translated to Italian, German, Hebrew and Marathi, and none of the translators are charging me,” said Sheikh. At home in Mumbai, a group of media students have made a short film on the book and Sheikh’s life,” Scroll reported. Sara Marmpel, a teacher, shifted base to Mumbai to help Amin with setting up the social media strategy for the cafe.

Back to the café itself then, it happens to be loaded with exciting food from both the cities right from baked yogurt, triple mousse chocolates, muffins, sandwiches, quiches, and patata bravas to Spanish omlettes, bhajiyas, kanda poha and beverages. The ingredients are fresh and healthy and Amin is also trying to get Belgian chocolate for his café that even children can afford. “I love seeing the street kids enjoying our cookies and tea. When I see them smile, I know I could have not bought it with money. The memories they make here is something I did not have. I tell my children here and at Snehasadan that this is what we are after, to make people more human,” he says.

Until recently, Carlos and Maria Antonia Perez were stationed at the café teaching the chef recipes from home. “They (Carlos and Maria) ran a restaurant (in Spain) had read his book and they were moved by his story. When they contacted Sheikh and learned that he was ready to start his dream cafe, they took three weeks off to come help him start up,” reported NPR. One of the employees at the café wants to be a fashion designer and is currently interning with a fashion label in Malta. The chef at this café Anil Kurup is a 22-year-old orphan living in Snehasadan and will be travelling to Spain next year to learn more about baking. “We have seven employees and they are all teenagers from Snehasadan. This café helps them to understand the world outside of their comfort zone. They can come here and polish their skills before they know or understand what path in life they want to take. There is a billboard outside which lists people that do a number of jobs and after doing background checks we suggest them to others,” he said. “The cafe will also have a billboard outside which will have names of those in need for a job, their professional/vocational skills and contact number. “For those from other orphanages, we will be practically testing the skills and doing a background check before recommending them and putting their name on the board,” said Amin, unable to control his excitement over the billboard corner. “There is one cupboard put up for a girl, a fashion designer, and is part of Sneha Sadan. Whatever is earned from selling her products will be passed on to her in full,” he said in an interview with DNA.

Amin currently has enough funds to run the café for a year. He also wants to start an ambulance service for people in need and has a white-board full of wishes at his home. He also dreams of marrying one day but is undecided about children. The current surrogacy bill doesn’t let single men like Amin adopt children. “Parents bring children in the world as an insurance policy not as a human being who needs to be loved and held,” Amin said speaking from personal experience. “Women are also treated like slaves. They are not allowed to have thoughts and dreams of their own,” he said.

Sabiya, Amin’s youngest sister makes the local items from Bombay and the glow is evident on her face. She has never received education but worked in the jewelllery industry where she got fleeced and people didn’t pay her for her efforts. 33-year-old Sabiya still lives with her mother and has an 18-year-old daughter. “I am doing something for myself now and I couldn’t be happier. I want to stay here as long as I can and Amin bhai is looking after me. He has taught me everything I know and I want to learn more by being here. I can’t wait for another day to begin and come to the café to showcase my jewellery and be here,” she says.

Amin is also hopeful and positive. He believes that no person is born bad and that a small Amin still lives inside him. A believer of magic and angels, he believes in the one God that has given him everything. “I was born a Muslim and grew up as a Catholic. For me, God is planet Earth. She is always there for you no matter what, giving and giving. Whatever we are and whatever we have is because of this planet. We need to respect that. We seem to have forgotten that when we take we need to give back as well. The only thing we give earth back is pollution and population. With God, there also needs to be good. I could have easily become a criminal, a drug dealer, a rapist or would have died. Father Placido is the real god who gave his life to transform street children’s. What I have learned is that good is like a magnet. You can buy a lot of things with money but you can’t buy dreams,” he concludes.

You can e-mail Amin Sheikh at amindreamsteam@gmail.com and reach him on his mobile phone- 9820212029. You can visit the cafés facebook page here or Amin’s website here. You can also watch Amin’s heartfelt video about the cafe/library here.

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