Shakira Rahman, Muslim Islamic charity Penny Appeal’s mini CEO, has launched a helpline to provide Muslim youth with mental health support, Arab News reported.

“Setting up this youth line was one of my first ideas when I joined Penny Appeal,” Hinna Zafar, the helpline’s team head and a qualified counselor in psychology, said.

“I have my mum to talk to about problems such as social media pressure, classroom bullying or body image worries,” Rahman said.

“But many of my Muslim friends at school are too scared to talk to their families. So I think that this line will be really helpful for my friends, and many girls and boys throughout the UK.”

The new MY (Muslim Youth) helpline is a free helpline for young people aged 11-24.

Moreover, it is a confidential and nonjudgmental service for young Muslims across the UK. Practitioners will listen and support callers through the emotions they are experiencing, providing the necessary support.

The MY service can also provide access to counselors with Islamic knowledge (via email) within 48 hours.

The MY helpline number is 0808 802 7777.

Penny Appeal

Entrepreneur Adeem Younis launched Penny Appeal in 2009 to offer assistance for providing food, water, and medical supplies.

Over the past decade, it has been providing poverty relief across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa by offering water solutions, organizing mass feedings, supporting orphan care and providing emergency food and medical aid.

The MY is not the first helpline for Muslim youth.

Naseeha, the Toronto-area helpline meaning ‘advice’ in Arabic, has received about 18,000 calls over the past years.

Earlier this year, AboutIslam partnered with two Islamic counseling services in an attempt to expand its current counseling service, launching a paid counseling service to be able to cater to those who can afford it.