By Andrew Wasike
NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Kenyan businessman Rashid Jama said Saturday that he sold a gold necklace worth $3,745 to raise money for earthquake victims in Türkiye.
Jama told Anadolu that he was compelled to take action after hearing about the earthquakes that have claimed more than 44,200 lives in southern Türkiye.
“I was very touched and saddened by the news when I saw the scale of the destruction. They are good people and I have a lot of friends there, so it really touched me and I thought of how to help these people," he said.
His wife agreed to sell the necklace he bought last year in Türkiye and donate the proceeds to victims.
Jama, who visited Türkiye four times with his wife in 2021, described Turks as good friends and said he was saddened by the scale of destruction.
After traveling from Mombasa to Nairobi, Jama met the Turkish ambassador to Kenya to donate the necklace.
He was advised to sell it to a jeweler and deposit the proceeds in the embassy's account that was set up for earthquake victims.
“I sold it and deposited all the proceeds into the relief aid account, I bought the necklace for my lovely wife, but you cannot compare lives to money, that is why with my family, we are showing love to the Turkish people,” he said.
Jama urged Kenyans and other Africans to show support to the people of Türkiye and donate to help those affected by the disaster. He emphasized that the sacrifice of selling the necklace was worth it.
“We pray to the almighty God for Türkiye to overcome this. To Kenyans, I want to tell them that this can happen anywhere. We need to help our friends so that they can help us tomorrow,” he said.
Jama shared the donation account with his friends who have contributed to the cause.
He noted that many have witnessed the aid that Türkiye, through the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency and the Turkish people, have given to Kenya and encouraged more people to donate.
The kindness and generosity of Jama's gesture demonstrate the power of compassion and empathy to transcend borders and bring people together in times of crisis.