On a sunny afternoon in South London, I met Malik \u2014 a 29-year-old community mentor, local gym coach, and by all accounts, the guy everyone in the neighbourhood knows and trusts. \ud83d\udc4a\ud83c\udffd<\/p>\n
What makes Malik special isn\u2019t just his calm, commanding presence or the way teens light up when they see him. It\u2019s the fact that he gets it. He\u2019s walked the same streets, faced the same pressures, and \u2014 in his own words \u2014 \u201cwas one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not here to preach. I\u2019m here to relate,\u201d he tells me, leaning forward. \u201cAt 15, I was carrying for \u2018protection\u2019. I nearly lost my life, and worse, nearly took someone else\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fast forward to today, Malik is the founder of Break the Blade, a grassroots program offering boxing classes, mentorship, job coaching and a safe space for kids at risk of being pulled into gang life. \ud83e\udd4a\ud83d\udc65<\/p>\n
And he\u2019s doing it all with zero government funding. Just donations, volunteers, and love for the community.
\n\ud83e\uddd2\ud83c\udffd\ud83d\udc67\ud83c\udfff Why Kids Trust Him<\/p>\n
When I asked 17-year-old Jayden why he goes to Malik\u2019s sessions every week instead of hanging with his usual crew, his answer was simple:<\/p>\n
\u201cHe listens. He doesn\u2019t look down on us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Malik makes it his mission to know every teen that walks through the door \u2014 their stories, struggles, and strengths. There\u2019s no shouting, no judgment, just structure and support.
\n\ud83d\udca1 A New Kind of Prevention<\/p>\n
Instead of focusing on punishment, Malik\u2019s approach is about prevention through purpose. Many of the young people he works with are now in college, apprenticeships, or working towards coaching badges. One former gang-affiliated teen is now leading warm-ups at the gym. \ud83d\udd01\u2728<\/p>\n
\u201cThey don\u2019t want the street life,\u201d Malik says. \u201cThey just don\u2019t see another option. I\u2019m here to show them there is one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udea8 Calling Out the System<\/p>\n
Malik isn\u2019t afraid to speak out. He\u2019s critical of cuts to youth services and the lack of safe, positive spaces for teenagers in London.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need more than police on the corners. We need people in the communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
He\u2019s calling for more collaboration between local councils, schools, and community leaders \u2014 and hopes the city will start investing in long-term, grassroots solutions.
\n\ud83c\udfc1 What\u2019s Next?<\/p>\n
Break the Blade is expanding. Malik just signed a lease on a second space in East London and is training three former participants to become official youth mentors. \ud83d\udcaa<\/p>\n
But his dream? To take the model nationwide.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery postcode deserves hope,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u2764\ufe0f Final Words<\/p>\n
As we wrap up, Malik walks back into the gym, where a group of kids are waiting with gloves on. One of them \u2014 no older than 13 \u2014 asks, \u201cCoach, can we start early today?\u201d<\/p>\n
Malik smiles. \u201cLet\u2019s get it.\u201d<\/p>\n
And just like that, another evening begins \u2014 not on the streets, but in a place built on sweat, respect, and second chances. \ud83e\udd4a\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On a sunny afternoon in South London, I met Malik \u2014 a 29-year-old community mentor, local gym coach, and by all accounts, the guy everyone in the neighbourhood knows and trusts. \ud83d\udc4a\ud83c\udffd What makes Malik special isn\u2019t just his calm, commanding presence or the way teens light up when they see him. It\u2019s the fact …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,19,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-top-stories","category-sci-technology","category-tie-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55665","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55665"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55665\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55667,"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55665\/revisions\/55667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}