LocationsBelarus’ Small-Town Push for Inclusive Employment
Beyond the Capital
January 14, 2026
Natalia came from Minsk to Mozyr to learn latte art.
Photo: UNDP in Belarus
For seven years, Natalia Astanina has been perfecting her craft as a barista. But when she wanted to master latte art—the delicate skill of etching patterns into steamed milk—she had to leave the capital city of Minsk for Mozyr, a smaller town in southern Belarus.
The move was born of necessity: in the capital, Astanina, who uses a wheelchair, couldn’t find a training site that was truly accessible. In Mozyr, however, she found the country’s first barrier-free barista school, a space designed specifically to ensure that physical limitations do not limit professional potential.
For people like Natalia, a job is more than a paycheck; it is a safeguard against the social isolation that often accompanies disability. Yet the path to the labor market remains steep. According to United Nations data, only about 27% of people with disabilities are employed worldwide—a figure that drops even lower for women. In Belarus, the unemployment rate for this demographic is five times the national average, a gap that economists estimate can cost a country up to 7% of its GDP.
To bridge this gap, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is piloting a series of initiatives across Belarus that treat inclusivity as an economic driver rather than a charity project.
In 2025, pilot initiatives on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) opened studios where people with disabilities can learn 3D printing and animation. Inclusive training spaces in food service were launched in Mozyr and Molotkovichi, along with a wheelchair tire production facility.
Latte Art for Everyone
Everything has been carefully thought out in Belarus' first barrier-free barista center, from the height of the tables to the width of the aisles.
Photo: UNDP in Belarus
Over the past four years, six inclusive cafes have opened in Belarus. Yet until recently, there were no special barrier-free classrooms where people with disabilities could learn the barista profession.
In the Mozyr barista training center, created with UNDP support, the ergonomics of the "perfect cup" are reimagined. Counters are lowered to wheelchair height, equipment is positioned within easy reach, and pathways are widened to allow for seamless movement.
“We have been working to professionalize the coffee industry for people with disabilities for years,” says Yevgeny Shevko, head of the NGO RAIK and the initiative’s coordinator. “We started with roasting; now we have a center where the best specialists in the country come to teach. We will be glad if more people with disabilities join us. We have a large space and can train baristas and coffee roasters.”
Natalia Astanina came here from Minsk to gain new knowledge and skills: “This is a very cool, adapted space. It has everything necessary for someone in a wheelchair to learn how to make coffee. It is great that there is a place anyone can come to — all you need is to contact the organizers.”
Recipe For Adult Life
At the school pizzeria, students and graduates learn everything from kneading dough to baking pizza.
Photo: UNDP in Belarus
The young people with intellectual disabilities study at the Molotkovichi boarding school. For them, finishing school often means stepping into the unknown. The director and teachers understand well that without practical skills, graduates struggle to find jobs and become independent.
At the initiative of the administration and with UNDP support, a pizzeria was set up at the school. Students and graduates learn the entire process — from the understanding the chemistry of the dough and preparing toppings to pizza baking.
Production On Wheels
In 2025, Belarus' first production facility for polyurethane tires for wheelchairs was opened in Mozyr.
Photo: Anna Shevko/UNDP in Belarus
Perhaps the most pragmatic breakthrough is happening in the manufacturing sector. Until recently, the 24,000 wheelchair users in Belarus were dependent on imported tires from China, often facing long shipping delays. In 2025, Mozyr saw the launch of the country’s first production line for polyurethane wheelchair tires.
“Our goal was to provide quality, affordable goods right here in Belarus,” explains Anna Shevko, director of Eberbach-Polesie LLC. “In the future, we will also produce other items for people with disabilities: armrests, headrests, wheelchair boosters, soles for orthopedic shoes, and more. We also eye export markets within the Eurasian Economic Union.”
Thanks to the initiative, 150 people have already received new polyurethane tires free of charge.
«We Feel Needed»
The success of these pilots — from the pizzeria to tire production — has one thing in common: they give people not just income but also dignity and a sense of belonging.
Anna Shevko sums it up best:
“We are developing the local community. As a social business, we involve local people with disabilities in our work. And they, in turn, inspire us with new ideas. We see how they change when they feel needed.”
SDG pilot initiatives are examples of successful inclusive projects that directly address challenges in training, employment, and infrastructure, offering sustainable solutions. It is important to adopt this experience and spread best practices to other parts of Belarus, following the key principle of the 2030 Agenda: leaving no one behind.
SDG pilot initiatives were implemented with UNDP Belarus support within the Joint Project “Support to the Efforts of the Republic of Belarus in Nationalization and Localization of the Sustainable Development Goals,” with financial support from the Russian Federation.
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