Words by Smiley Team
It was whilst watching the BBC news programme HARDTalk, that Pranav Chopra had an idea. A feature came on about an Iraqi refugee family who had struggled to settle in Germany. After four years, they were heading back to their home country – to military conflict and economic hardship.
“This didn’t make any sense,” says Pranav. “I looked into it, and saw how the lack of integration for refugees, in many countries, was a major problem.”
Inspired to help tackle this issue, the Dehli-born entrepreneur set up Nemi Teas, a social enterprise that sells a rich variety of teas at food markets, festivals and corporate events across London. Refugees are employed throughout all parts of the business, from running the tea stalls, to working in marketing and distribution.
“Employment ties in everything,” Pranav explains. “It helps them practice their English, it boosts their confidence, and improves their prospects in the job market. Having a referee from a UK company is a very important factor.”
Since starting in March 2016, Nemi Teas has seen 18 refugees pass through its doors, from Anwar the chemical engineer from Sudan, to Kasper the Iranian rapper. Some have gone on to find jobs elsewhere, others have taken up places at university or college.
“There’s no set model,” says Pranav. “We had a journalist come to us, and we got him to write a blog. Now he works for an Arabic newspaper. We just want to help, and be a stepping stone. We work very closely with them, and they often become friends.”
Working in a welcoming environment, at above the national minimum wage, some of the refugees have good reason to feel suspicious.
“We’ve heard some horrendous stories of exploitation and abuse, especially from the women. So our employees tend to love working for us. Some say it’s like getting paid to have fun.”
Pranav has big plans to spread the joy, hoping to set up a social franchise of cafés across the capital and beyond, all run entirely by refugees. Incidentally, their teas are Fairtrade-certified, environmentally-friendly – and, by all accounts, very tasty indeed.
If you would like to stock Nemi Teas or work with the company, get in touch. You can find Nemi Teas on the Smiley Movement network or at [email protected].
By Theo Hooper
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