Keeping the Lights on at a Video Game Cafe in Southern Yemen
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What is life like in Aden, Yemen during the civil war?
WBUR Podcasts, Boston.
Emery, you remember my pen pal from earlier this year?
Your audio pen pal, yes.
Yeah. My pen pal in Yemen. We were sending voice memos back and forth, and it was surprisingly kind of a fun way to get to know somebody. Then I think the internet right now is not the
best. Can we do like the interview via voice messages or We can wait till the internet is better for voice calling.
Hey. Yeah, we can totally do an interview via voice messages. Um what's your name? What shall I call you? My name is Ben. It's nice to meet you.
Ivan, you can call me Mo. You can call me Mohammed, you can call me Maho. So anything is fine to be honest. I think I'd rather have my nickname, like you can say Mo. Because here here in Yemen, you know, it's it's probably the best to stay a little bit Under the radar, you know. I'm just want to make sure to protect, you know, my family because if the wrong people hear it. Just wanna make sure that I don't have to look all always over my shoulders, you know.
Мои стаккин і
Yemeni politics are volatile. Mo is living in the middle of a civil war. A civil war that's been going on since 2015. External powers like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and by extension, the United States support the recognized government.
While sectarian tribal groups like the Hutis backed by Iran have been fighting the Yemeni government for control. The result of this violent conflict has been poverty and famine, and of course, casualties. But Mo and I didn't talk about that at first. Where do you live? Um, where are you in Yemen? What Kind of place is it? What is the industry that is there? If there's like a major industry, what do you do for work?
I live i in the south of Yemen. It's a city called Aden. It's like on the port, you know, it's like we have like this endless beach. It's very beautiful here. It's uh the whole year around, it's summer, you know, blue skies, the beach.
Aden is an ancient city that used to be the capital of southern Yemen until southern Yemen and northern Yemen were united in 1990. It's beautiful. It has castles and beaches set against the mountains. It was built on a volcanic crater. Like the larger country, politics in the city seem to have frequent eruptions. Mo sees the good. And the not so good.
The people are so nice, you know, very welcoming, very helpful, very like um they're helping each other, you know. It's a very amazing environment to live in. But sadly there's also Some downsides, you know. For example, right now we're getting into the summer, and the summer is Basically a nightmare because it gets so warm, it gets so hot. Like how many people already, like especially people who are sick and the elderly, you know, how many get like a heat stroke? For example, two years ago, my father already had a stroke, my father already had like heart problems, high blood pressure and a lot of stuff. And then plus the heat You know, sadly he passed away.
That was two years ago. But the problems are perennial, and they seem to be getting worse. This summer, protests broke out about living conditions and basic services in the city, like electricity.
The warmer it gets, the longer the electricity turns off. For example, right now, we are at nine hours off and uh two hours on. Which the sad part is it it will get worse, you know. Sometimes it turns off for eighteen hours off and then two hours on, you know. So basically the whole day is off.
In this environment, infrastructure, the ability for normal business to commence, it's all pretty tricky.
How did Mo’s childhood love of video games lead to his dream of a gaming cafe?
So
Everybody was struggling. Especially the sick and the elderly, they will suffer, you know. And also like The other problem that we have in Yemen is the It's the currency, you know. I remember when I started the business. Like a hundred dollars was like eighty five thousand Yemenis, okay?
That was back in twenty eighteen. Now it costs something like three times that or more for staples like food and energy.
And that was I was lucky to start my business at that time, you know? And everything I bought secondhand. And uh but now
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is life like in Aden, Yemen during the civil war?
0:00–4:34
2
How did Mo’s childhood love of video games lead to his dream of a gaming cafe?
4:34–9:40
3
What challenges did Mo face securing electricity and internet for his cafe?
9:40–14:26
4
How did Mo acquire equipment and build the PowerNet cafe despite shortages?
14:26–21:58
5
What role did the global Reddit community play in rescuing the cafe?
21:58–27:47
6
How did GoFundMe and international donors help fund the project?
27:47–32:58
7
What does PowerNet offer to the local community today?
32:58–34:19