Yojana ad Eric Fombona, the pillars of this life project.
As a child, Yojana Fombona would wake up to the smell of coffee—her father grew it on his land in the rural communities of Honduras.
“I grew up surrounded by the smell of coffee, helping my parents. I also liked school, but I studied remotely. I only went on Saturdays and Sundays, and the rest of the week I studied at home. I was good at school,” says Yojana, owner of 21 Coffee in Huntington Park.
Coffee was always a part of her life. “There, everyone drinks coffee,” she says.
By the age of nine, she was already helping her father with invoicing. Other farmers would bring him their coffee to sell, and on the weekends, Yojana was in charge of paying them.
“Many of them didn’t know how to read or write. I’d do their accounting, explain it to them. That calling to serve, to help others, has always been part of me,” she adds.
“They ask me, ‘How do you do it? He seems so ‘normal’.’ And I tell them, ‘Because I treat him normally. I don’t treat him differently,’” she says.
Following her dad and brother around made her the target of criticism from her girlfriends.
“They told me I was like another little brother, not a sister. I didn’t do what they did. I didn’t care. I knew I was needed by my family. I’ve always seen hardship, need, and I’ve always cared about helping those in need.”
In 2008, something happened that changed her life. During a routine medical check-up for a new job, she found out she was pregnant—something she hadn’t realized. After thinking it through, she decided to migrate to Los Angeles with her brother.
Soon after arriving, she was told something was wrong with her baby. Just before further tests could be done, Anthony was born—at just 32 weeks of pregnancy.
“The doctors told me they needed to run some tests, that he showed all the signs of having Down syndrome. That lit a fire in me. Instead of giving up, I decided to fight. My son wouldn’t be held back—he’ll be independent, cook his own food, wash his own clothes, and study,” she says.
“I’ve opened the coffee shop to other organizations for their events, whether they buy from us or not. The goal is for them to find a space where they can share experiences that strengthen our community,” she adds.
She didn’t focus on special care; Anthony would grow up like any other child—but with different needs.
That’s when the idea of opening a café started to take shape.
“During the pandemic, I told my husband, Eric Fombona, that we needed to focus on the two things I love most in life: coffee and Anthony. That’s how the idea for 21 Coffee was born. We wanted a place where Anthony could work and be involved in its operations. We transformed the food area of the pizzeria we were running and turned it into a coffee bar,” she explains.
She knew she couldn’t stop. Kids with Down syndrome or any other condition shouldn’t be limited. It’s not that they can’t do things—they can, just in a different way. Anthony is now in 10th grade, he’s an excellent student and loves sports.
“We started blindly and adapted as time went on. I have a great partner in my husband, who supports me in everything,” she says.
By 2020, 21 Coffee was up and running. There were challenges, they struggled—it’s been hard, but… “we’re still fighting. Everyone’s just surviving, and we’re not backing down. We come up with new ideas and keep going. We don’t go backward—not even to gain momentum,” she says firmly.
“I’ve opened the coffee shop to other organizations for their events, whether they buy from us or not. The goal is for them to find a space where they can share experiences that strengthen our community,” she adds.
Yojana’s vision extends beyond Los Angeles.
For the past three years, she’s organized a major event in her Honduran community called 321, referring to March 21—World Down Syndrome Day.
“That day, I gather Anthony’s friends at the café and we celebrate. The goal is to build community. We organize donations and hold a community event in Honduras for around 150 people. We bring gifts, share information, and have a small celebration. We’ve done it for three years now. My goal is to start a foundation, but it hasn’t happened yet,” she says.
Kids with Down syndrome or any other condition shouldn’t be limited. It’s not that they can’t do things—they can, just in a different way.
And she’ll surely make it happen. Since opening 21 Coffee, they’re already importing 15 thousand pounds of Honduran coffee a year.
“My friends see Anthony and they’re amazed. They ask me, ‘How do you do it? He seems so ‘normal’.’ And I tell them, ‘Because I treat him normally. I don’t treat him differently,’” she says.
Yojana’s fight never stops. She has many battles to fight. She identifies with the community because she is part of it—and as she said, since she was a child, she’s always been on the side of those in need.
“I identify with many causes,” she concludes.
