Turkish Cypriot became a Knight of the Order of the British Empire: he turns homeless into baristas

Cemal Ezel, a Turkish Cypriot living in England, has been awarded the Order of the British Empire. He founded the organization Change Please, which provides homeless individuals with employment opportunities by training them as baristas.

The founder of the project was recognized with the Order of the British Empire for his achievements in social entrepreneurship and services provided to the homeless.

The Order of the British Empire was first awarded by King George V on June 4, 1917. The medal is bestowed for contributions to the arts and sciences, collaboration with charitable organizations, and services to the state beyond the civil service.

Cemal Ezel is renowned for his business success and for transforming the lives of many homeless people in the country. His coffee shop network, Change Please, is a social project that trains homeless individuals in the barista profession, providing them with paid work based on the established "London Living Wage."

Additionally, homeless individuals are provided with housing within ten days of starting work, assistance in opening a bank account, and therapeutic support. Subsequently, assistance is provided to find alternative employment for these individuals. Besides the UK, Change Please operates in countries such as the USA, France, Ireland, and Australia, continuing to change the lives of homeless people worldwide.

The Change Please organization began transforming the lives of the homeless in 2015 with a single coffee cart in London's Covent Garden. Since then, the project has received several awards for social entrepreneurship and its societal contributions.