I recently had the honor of befriending Abi, an incredibly compassionate and kind soul who—until yesterday—ran an inviting, tranquil, and eco-friendly cafe on Marari Beach in Kerala, India. In the brief time I’ve known Abi, he has gone out of his way to not only make me feel at home in India, but to help me connect deeply to people and places here that I could never have been opened to if it wasn’t for him. He has introduced me to his yoga master, driven me to practice every morning, and shown me around his homeland, asking nothing at all in return.

I met Abi at Cloud 9 Cafe, the beachfront restaurant he and his friends built together a few years ago. Their vision was to create a cafe that was plastic-free, eco-friendly, and a place where locals and foreigners alike could gather to enjoy good food and music. What they made together ended up being a #1 TripAdvisor-rated restaurant that connected souls from across the globe.

Yesterday, their cafe was completely leveled by a bulldozer on government orders. All of their kitchen supplies, solar panels, and business-related items were inside the cafe and they were given no opportunity to salvage anything before it was all destroyed. Abi was able only to run inside to save their puppy, Marta, before they collapsed the roof on top of her.

The government says that the beach is government property and the cafe was operating illegally by being there. They had issued Cloud 9 and a neighboring cafe a warning and originally stated a decision would be made on January 16th about how to proceed. However, on the morning of the 12th, they came and leveled both cafes to the ground. I am not here to dispute or argue over the laws or practices of another country. What’s done is done, and this is not my home. All that I know is that multiple people’s livelihoods were destroyed yesterday and now those people are left wondering how they will feed their families and communities.

Thankfully, Abi and his friends had purchased a new plot of land recently that they planned to build a second cafe and yoga studio on in a year or so, when they were able to fund it. Their spirits have been incredible the last 24 hours, and they are already planning to start rebuilding Cloud 9 this weekend in its new home farther down the beach.

I'm asking for your help in that endeavor, in any way you may be able to give it. They have loans to repay for their original location and are now in need of funding to rebuild in their new space.

I have traveled far and wide in my life, and I mean it from the bottom of my soul when I say I have never met people like these before. They give so much to everyone who enters their lives and truly ask for nothing in return. Abi has helped me immensely in my time here, and I’m hoping to repay that warmth somehow.

Thank you so much for reading and for giving what you can to help bring Cloud 9 back to life.

A note on funds: GoFundMe does not operate in India, so funds will be transferred to my US account and I will get them to Abi to be used to help the people of Cloud 9 and the neighboring cafe. I will post proof of these transactions as they happen and am happy to answer any questions relating to the handling of funds.