DEVAKI BISTA
If you can’t go get a cup of coffee, a cup of coffee will come to you. These walking coffee vendors of The Tea House can be found in Thamel and Jhonchhe carrying two thermos flasks and plastic cups in shoulder baby harnesses selling hot beverages to passers-by. The students earn some pocket money and the company donates Rs 0.50 to a Day Care Centre in Thimi. Work starts at 6AM and goes on until 4PM, and the students sell four flasks of coffee and tea every day.
At the moment the Tea House has ten student vendors. The response has been so good it plans to have vendors sell the beverages at the airport, Patan, Swayambu and the Kalanki Bus Park. This mobile tea-coffee service is the idea of Ashok Bajracharya, who was inspired by My One Business in South Africa. Says Nabina Rajbahak, who studies in Grade 12: “I like the job as I get to earn some money, meet people and it is also a social service.”