The enterprise hopes to guide Butetown’s next generation into adulthood
A NEW community enterprise in Butetown is helping children and teenagers by giving them a safe space to relax and build a community.
EEY Project is the brainchild of friends Nooh Omar Ibrahim, 19, from Butetown, and Saeed Abdi, 20, from Grangetown.
They wanted to create a community environment for young people in the area similar to the atmosphere they grew up in before the pandemic.
Nooh said that the new project is already having an impact on the lives of the young people, who come to play FIFA, table tennis, and socialise on Monday evenings.
“EEY is giving them a sense of community. When I grew up I had fundraisers and a sense of community, but some of these kids turned 16 in lockdown,” said Nooh.
Although EEY operates out of the Butetown Community Centre now, Saeed admitted: “Finding this place was tough – a lot of work has gone on behind the scenes.”
Nooh and Saeed are planning to develop EEY into an organisation that can help guide the youth population of the area into adulthood.
“If someone comes to me right now and says they want to be an actor, I want to give them the resources to become that,” said Nooh.
“I want to make sure their vision isn’t just in their head; it’s something real. I want to show the kids that there’s ways to reach what they want to do. It’s all about creating that space and bringing them the resources.”
Saeed explained that the initiative’s rise in popularity online was because of the local community.
“Everyone shared it and lots of people have worked behind the scenes on social media.”
Both Nooh and Saeed have high hopes for the educational potential of EEY.
“We want to be the first community that brings the kids together in terms of street life and school life,” said Saeed.
Nooh added: “My dream is that all these kids look back and say that they’ve been helped by this community centre. Our aim is to make this community the best community in Cardiff.”
Nooh, who works as a rugby development apprentice at the Welsh Rugby Union, is keen to involve his current employers with his new project.
Kira Philpott, rugby officer for the WRU, is helping Saeed and Nooh to plan future fundraising opportunities.
She said: “Our vision at the WRU is more people, more often, with more enjoyment and more success.
“Nooh’s a role model who has come in to show these people what he’s doing is achievable. He’s a young man now and the potential he has in this community and in Wales is massive. We’re all very proud of him.”
EEY Project is hosted at Butetown Community Centre every Monday evening between 5pm and 8pm.
