Meet Mohammed: An Internet Café Owner Helping Children Learn and Game in War-Torn Yemen

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With Yemen still torn apart by civil war, it’s hard to find places where children can learn, have fun, and feel safe. But Mohammed, a local English teacher, is doing just that. He runs an internet café called Power Net that gives kids in his community access to games, educational materials, and a much-needed place to connect, all while the country faces a terrible humanitarian crisis.

It’s been consistently difficult to keep Power Net running. Increasing fuel prices, spotty internet, and regular power cuts often disrupt the café’s business. Even with these challenges, Mohammed manages Power Net while also teaching English, giving the children in his community a safe and positive place to spend their time.

Mohammed shared that opening the café had been a dream of his for seven years. He’d been carefully saving money from his teaching work and other jobs to make it happen. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced one of his businesses to close in 2020, it gave him the push he needed to finally launch Power Net.

I’m a huge gamer, and I really believe gaming is awesome for bringing people together. There are internet cafes around, which is cool, but honestly, the computers they have are super outdated. It’s frustrating because they either run really slowly or can’t even handle most games properly. It definitely puts a damper on the experience.

Mohammed spent four to five months gathering used computer parts from local sources to start Power Net. He now realizes this wasn’t the best approach, as the parts were often low quality and broke down frequently. Despite this, he does his best to repair anything that malfunctions to keep the café operational.

This space offers a much-needed escape for children, a place to relax and simply be kids, forgetting about the hardships and conflict around them. They enjoy activities like playing games together, watching movies, and even watching downloaded TikTok videos since internet access is limited. It’s a joyful environment, and honestly, it doesn’t feel like work at all.

Running Power Net isn’t easy, and unreliable electricity has been a major challenge – Mohammed almost quit because of it. When he first opened, there was no power, forcing him to install a 300-meter cable to the nearest pole. But that connection is overloaded with around 200 other cables, so it frequently breaks or even explodes, sometimes leaving him without power for up to 18 hours at a time. He also had to buy a generator, which was itself unreliable and constantly needed repairs.

After his first year, the café was empty due to ongoing power outages and generator failures. He took a photo to document the struggle and celebrate his perseverance, then shared it on Reddit. The photo unexpectedly went viral, gaining a lot of attention. This all happened while prices were rapidly increasing, adding to the stress.

Mohammad’s post quickly became popular on Reddit, receiving over three million views and 80,000 upvotes. This led to many offers of help from people around the world. However, shipping things to Yemen, which is a warzone, proved to be very expensive. While hundreds of people offered to send computer parts and accessories, only a small number followed through, as the shipping costs often exceeded the value of the items themselves.

Mohammed received several offers, but one stood out and led Power Net to begin offering classes in STEM – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Mohammed initially had some doubts, but quickly saw the potential. Someone sent them educational materials from Britain, which allowed them to start extended STEM classes where the children built exciting projects. They provided the kids with supplies like notebooks and pens. Even years later, Mohammed still sees these students, who eagerly ask when the next STEM classes will be. Although some have grown older, it’s clear the program had a lasting, positive effect on their lives.

Mohammed’s popular post continues to attract offers of help from people worldwide, often in the form of computer parts like keyboards, mice, and headsets—sometimes even graphics cards. However, the high cost of shipping and the lack of easy donation methods like PayPal make it hard to accept these gifts.

Mohammed, with a friend’s help, created a GoFundMe to support Power Net. Launched in 2022, the fundraiser brought in over $15,000, allowing Mohammed to keep the cafe running and purchase new equipment.

Mohammed finds his work incredibly rewarding, saying it doesn’t feel like a job at all. He’s passionate about helping people get back on their feet by providing them with valuable skills and training. They offer a variety of courses, and because Mohammed is an English teacher, he also helps students improve their language skills – sometimes even offering lessons in Spanish and German. Beyond language, they teach practical programs like Adobe and Blender.

He doesn’t have a grand plan for the future of Power Net, just a desire to keep it running. While it’s challenging, he feels he’s making a real difference, which is something he’s always wanted. He’s grateful for the incredible support they’ve received from people all over the world, including contributions from South Africa, India, Australia, and the UK, and is proud of what they’ve accomplished together.

Amidst the hardship and instability of this country, Power Net and Mohammed offer a glimmer of hope to many children. If you’d like to help them continue their important work, you can contribute to Power Net’s GoFundMe campaign, which supports the café and its programs.

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2026-01-07 20:49