Power cuts in Syrian capital drive workers, students to cafes

Power cuts in Syrian capital drive workers, students to cafes

Cafes in Syria's capital Damascus have become a source of reliable wifi and power
Cafes in Syria's capital Damascus have become a source of reliable wifi and power. Photo: LOUAI BESHARA / AFP
Source: AFP

Majida has been working from a central Damascus cafe almost every day for a year, depending on it for reliable electricity and wifi in a country plagued by debilitating power cuts.

"Without cafes, I would have been unable to work because of the long blackouts at home," said the graphic designer, 42, declining to provide her surname.

Enterprising owners have upgraded their businesses with generators and batteries to guarantee power and draw in Damascenes plagued by Syria's war-battered and crumbling infrastructure.

"I need a continuous power supply (to work) -- and I get my inspiration from the people here," added Majida, drawing designs on a tablet on the cafe's sofa.

Nearly 13 years of civil war have hammered Syria's infrastructure, including power stations and energy pipelines, leading to power outages that can drag on for up to 20 hours a day.

Read also

Meloni restores tax breaks after farmer protests reach Colosseum

Key oil and gas fields in the country's northeast have not been under government control for years, while Western sanctions have hampered resource imports and strained public funds.

Damascus is beset by frequent power cuts after years of civil war
Damascus is beset by frequent power cuts after years of civil war. Photo: LOUAI BESHARA / AFP
Source: AFP

In 2021, Economy Minister Samer al-Khalil said energy sector losses since 2011 amounted to around "$100 billion in direct and indirect damages".

In the Syrian capital, the shortages have sparked a boom in cafes turned informal co-working spaces for electricity hungry workers and students.

At Flow Space Coffee, a colourful cafe with a quiet, studious ambiance, customers including Majida type on laptops or sip coffee while shuffling through papers.

'A necessity'

The owner, Ihsan Azmeh, 38, whose friendly white dog Lilly is also a regular, said he wanted the cafe to be a place for young workers and students when he opened it three years ago.

"Damascus cafes solve at least three problems for people these days: electricity, internet and heating," he said.

Read also

Del Monte guards in Kenya accused of beatings, rapes, killings

Azmeh has rearranged the furniture to accommodate a growing number of workers seeking makeshift offices, with benches resembling school desks and a large rectangular table for meetings.

Many cafes have installed generators and batteries to guarantee power
Many cafes have installed generators and batteries to guarantee power. Photo: LOUAI BESHARA / AFP
Source: AFP

He bought a generator and has installed a battery system that kicks in when state power drops out, ensuring a constant electricity supply. Azmeh also doubled the number of outlets for charging mobile phones and other devices.

"I often find myself sleeping at the cafe instead of heading home" to avoid long power cuts, he added.

Across the city in the eastern neighbourhood of Bab Tuma, known for its cafes and bars, Saint-Michel Coffee has also become a haven for freelancers and students.

Visiting the cafe "is not an option for me, but a necessity" said George Kassari, 18, a computer science student at Damascus University.

"As soon as I arrive, I take out all my devices to charge them," he said, adding that he and his sister often recharge each other's electronics at the cafe.

Read also

Chance for Italy's toxic steelworks to finally go green

'Only solution'

Muhammad Sabahi, a student who works as a website developer for a company in the Gulf, was preparing for an online meeting at a table nearby.

Website developer Muhammad Sabahi is among those who rely on cafes to work
Website developer Muhammad Sabahi is among those who rely on cafes to work. Photo: LOUAI BESHARA / AFP
Source: AFP

"I work from the cafe every day," said the 22-year-old, adding: "I now have a fixed seat here, employees know my favourite drink by heart and they begin making it as soon as I arrive."

If not for the coffee shop, "I would have failed my university exams and lost my job," he said.

"This is the only solution for me and many of my friends," he added, a large bag filled with chargers, cables and other necessities sitting beside him.

Medical student Shadi Elias, 18, said he chased sunlight around his home by day and read his textbooks by torchlight at night, heading to the nearest coffee shop whenever the batteries ran out.

"Cafes are crowded during the exam periods, so I make sure to come early," he said, sitting near a chalkboard with drawings of lightbulbs reading "battery-powered".

Read also

Swiss watchmaker says it's time to make luxury sustainable

"This place turns into a big classroom -- we borrow pens, papers, books and sometimes even phone chargers from each other," he said with a smile.

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.