Muslim youth spreading warmth and support to East London’s homeless
Coffee Afrik, a charity in Tower Hamlets, provides vital support to rough sleepers and those struggling with addiction
Bethnal Green, London (MNTV) – On cold winter afternoons of East London, Mahad Omar and Abdirahim Hassan of Coffee Afrik, a grassroots charity, are distributing food and blankets to rough sleepers outside a Sainsbury’s in Bethnal Green.
The charity, founded in 2018, provides essential support to those facing homelessness, drug addiction, and mental health issues in the borough of Tower Hamlets.
Tower Hamlets, home to both wealthy areas and some of the highest rates of poverty in London, has a poverty rate significantly higher than the national average. In Bethnal Green alone, nearly half of children live below the poverty line.
Hassan, who founded Coffee Afrik, while speaking to UK-based magazine Hyphen, highlights the stark contrast between the borough’s affluence and its widespread deprivation: “You’ve got million-pound apartments next to communities suffering from housing and inequality.”
Coffee Afrik started as a crisis café and now supports over 3,000 young people and 4,400 others through mental health, drug addiction, and community projects. Funded by Project ADDER, the charity provides outreach to rough sleepers, handing out food and bedding to help people stay warm in the harsh weather.
ADDER, which stands for Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement, and Recovery, is a national initiative in England and Wales designed to combat drug-related crime and mitigate its harmful effects.
Hassan, drawing from his own experiences with homelessness and addiction, emphasizes the importance of culturally sensitive support. Coffee Afrik also offers a digital support group for Somali clients and advocates for improved mental healthcare in Tower Hamlets, particularly for marginalized communities.
“Within Islam, we know that people can be saved and supported, and that Allah, our God, is all-forgiving. So we have to embody this. We have to embody the sunnah. We have to embody our faith in a way that really is about helping people, especially the people that are most marginalised or troubled,” Hassan said in an interview with Hyphen.
Coffee Afrik’s women’s hubs in Tower Hamlets and Hackney also offer a sense of community, providing space for activities such as Qur’an study, exercise, and socializing.
Their work is especially crucial in light of a 2024 report by the Museum of Homelessness, which revealed that 1,474 homeless individuals died in the UK in 2023. Of these deaths, 37% were drug-related, highlighting the urgent need for support services like those provided by Coffee Afrik.
The charity’s work, Hassan says, embodies the values of Islam—helping those most in need with love, care, and support.
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