New Café Empowers Immigrant Women Through Education and Community

A new café in downtown Windsor, Ontario, named WINGS Café, is providing an opportunity for immigrant women to gain their first jobs in Canada while promoting girls’ education worldwide. Founded by a group of women passionate about educational equity, the café serves traditional Afghan breakfasts alongside Guatemalan coffee, offering a taste of home for its owners and a unique experience for customers.

The WINGS Café, which stands for Windsor Intercultural Neighbourhood Girls, operates from a community kitchen and serves dishes that reflect the cultural backgrounds of its staff. For many of the women working there, including Tamana Haidari and Zarifa Noorzai from Afghanistan, this is their initial foray into the Canadian job market. Both women are also pursuing their high school diplomas, highlighting the initiative’s dual commitment to employment and education.

Ruth Rodas, the café’s co-founder and a community development coordinator at the Downtown Windsor Community Collaborative, has a personal connection to coffee. Rodas, a third-generation coffee farmer from Guatemala, emphasizes the importance of education in her family’s history. She recalls how her grandmother, after becoming a widow, challenged gender norms by ensuring her daughters received schooling.

“This opportunity was fuelled by coffee,” Rodas stated, reflecting on her family’s journey. She noted that women in both Afghanistan and Guatemala face significant barriers to education. “This idea came through recognizing I have this resource, and I want to support other girls and all the ladies arriving in Canada.”

Bridging Cultures Through Cuisine

The café operates out of a community kitchen located on Wyandotte Street West and has become a gathering space for the community. The menu features traditional Afghan dishes, such as bolani, a stuffed flatbread, and cucu, a hashbrown-style dish, alongside Rodas’ Guatemalan coffee and Afghan-style tea. Each item is priced affordably, with many offerings available for under $4.

Haidari and Noorzai express their hopes for the café’s impact on the community. “I think Guatemala and Afghanistan are similar in that education is limited for girls in both countries,” Haidari noted. Noorzai added, “This was my dream, that I could help girls’ education because I wasn’t able to complete my education in my home country.”

The café serves as a vital support system for newcomers, particularly women who may encounter challenges when seeking employment. Rodas highlighted that many of these women face barriers such as language proficiency and a lack of Canadian work experience. “They have been applying for different jobs, but they have been told no for various reasons,” she explained.

By offering a welcoming environment where they can practice English and connect with their cultural heritage, the WINGS Café fosters both personal and professional growth.

Empowerment Through Community Support

The initiative extends beyond just providing jobs. The WINGS Café aims to empower women by showcasing their skills and stories, helping them to overcome feelings of invisibility. “The collective effort here is very inspiring,” Rodas remarked. “This isn’t just to make a profit; it is for these girls. There are so many stakeholders behind this to keep this running.”

The café operates every Saturday morning, and its impact resonates throughout Windsor. It serves as a platform for cultural exchange and community building, offering affordable meals while also elevating the voices of immigrant women.

As the WINGS Café continues to develop, its founders remain committed to their mission of supporting education for girls and creating opportunities for newcomer women. Their work not only nourishes the body but also fosters a sense of belonging and empowerment in the heart of downtown Windsor.