Founder Origin Story
Farhia Budul
Farhia is a woman in long-term recovery and the founder of Niyyah Recovery Initiative, the first Recovery Community Organization in the nation created by and for the East African Community. She has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of Substance Use Disorders, combat stigma within her community, and elevate the voices of women, Muslims, and East Africans to transform the recovery movement in Minnesota and beyond. Farhia is a member of the Minnesota Governor’s Advisory Council on Opioids, Substance Use, and Addiction, board member for Minnesota Association of Recovery Community Organizations and a recipient of 2023 Bush Fellowship!
Recovery Is Beautiful
In this video Farhia shares her journey of overcoming addiction and mental health challenges. She highlights the struggles of negative self-talk, societal stigma as a Muslim woman, and the importance of faith in her recovery. Farhia emphasizes the need for community support and breaking the stigma around addiction in the Muslim community.
Road to Recovery from Addiction
In this video, Farhia shares her journey of recovery from substance use, highlighting her reconnection with her faith and values. She discusses her struggles with addiction, the cultural challenges she faced as a Somali immigrant, and how she overcame these through spirituality and peer support. Farhia emphasizes the importance of recovery programs tailored for Muslims and encourages others to seek help, breaking the stigma around addiction within the community.
Farhia Budul in the media
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We Recover With Others: A Conversation with Farhia Budul
In 2012, Farhia Budul became the first Somali American to work as an addiction counselor in the state of Minnesota. As a young mother, Budul struggled with alcoholism, and was inspired to help others in recovery after attending group counseling.
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Through her own recovery, Bush Fellowship recipient saw a need for addiction resources in Minnesota’s East African community
As Farhia Budul enters the Brian Coyle Community Center next to Currie Park in Minneapolis’ Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, the elderly Somali man at the front desk smiles, saying she’s been missed.
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Growing opioid use in Somali community spurs need for culturally relevant treatment
Farhia Budul spoke with mothers who gathered in Currie Park. Budul is the founder of the Niyyah Recovery Initiative, which touts itself as the first community-run recovery organization in the country designed specifically for East Africans and Muslims.