About the Author: Hi, I am Venkatesh Vaidhyam Kannan, 27 years old, living in the Netherlands and working as a hardware engineer. I have had my stutter since a young age and it was during the pandemic that I discovered the world of stuttering communities. Since then I have been able to meet people who stutter and come in terms with my stutter and also contribute by working on different projects in the stuttering communities. Stamily cafes is one of them. I feel as a person who stutters, meeting other people who stutter is such a relatable and open feeling which motivates me to make people across the world meet people who stutter.

Every person who stutters (pws) has their own unique stuttering experience. Through organizing youth exchanges and Stamily meetups, we have noticed in our association, Stamily, that meeting in-person with other pws is very effective in the path to living more comfortably with a stutter. Despite the fact that everyone’s stuttering experience is different and everyone deals with it differently, sharing struggles and victories with each other enhances in our community the positive attitude to each own stutter. In-person meetups also nurture the growth of bonds and friendships among pws. To further stimulate the bonds between pws within stuttering communities across all cities and countries around the world, we are currently developing the concept of Stamily cafes.

Stamily cafes will provide a safe space where people can meet, discuss, and share their struggles and victories related to stuttering. Not only to share best practices with each other, but to provide peer support by listening and sharing, as what works for one, does not always work for another (one size does not fit all). We believe that the people who best understand pws are pws themselves. The Stamily cafes can also function as a hangout place for people who stutter (pws) to just have small talk or play games together, as having fun with each other and creating a relaxing atmosphere is an important component of the Stamily cafes too. Eventually, we believe that meeting regularly in the Stamily cafes, creates a safe space, gives pws a sense of belonging, and strengthens the bonds among pws worldwide.

The benefits of Stamily cafes lies in gathering the stuttering community from all corners of the world, grow connections by providing a platform for regular meetings to discuss both the  professional and personal challenges tied to stuttering. Stamily cafes also present an excellent opportunity to relate, connect, and cultivate enduring friendships over the long term. In addition, having Stamily cafes in many locations around the world, also enhances the opportunities for pws to meet other pws during traveling. It is also a safe place for expats who happen to stutter and who want to meet other local pws. And who knows, new beautiful ideas will arise at the Stamily cafe meetings that will further positively affect the stuttering community as a whole.

What brings comfort for one, does not always bring comfort to the other. So, it’s worth noting that pws are free to discuss topics they feel comfortable with during these gatherings, whether or not they relate to stuttering. Furthermore, they will have the chance to connect with other members of the Stamily community globally. We are hopeful that these cafes can provide a safe space and a sense of inclusion for many pws around the world.

We are aware of the fact that there are more stuttering cafe initiatives around the world. As we do not want to replace any current stutter cafe, we prefer to collaborate and share ideas and experiences with each other.

We are still developing the concept of Stamily cafes and welcome every type of contribution. So, if you’re interested in becoming a part of this exciting initiative, please feel free to join Stamily or reach out by sending an email to hello@stamily.org. We would be happy to explain the current status and the next steps.