In the midst of a pandemic, a cafe becomes a place of refuge for stranded people

Run by a monastery, Utpala Cafe, in Boudha, has been providing free meals to people since day one of the lockdown—feeding more than 80 people every day.

On March 24, when Nepal went into lockdown, 20-year-old Agni Bishwokarma, who works as a security guard in Boudha, found himself in a problem. The lunch places that he usually frequents were all shut, and for the first few days of the lockdown, Bishwokarma made do by skipping lunch at work. For a few days, he even prepared his own lunch and carried to work, but his odd duty hours didn't make it a very feasible thing to do.