Translator: Fatıma Nur Dinçer
We usually only know athletes for the sports they do. But other than that, some athletes do exemplary work outside of their sport. Join us on a trip to Sweden for an example of one of these athletes.
Badou Jack, a Swedish boxing champion of Gambian descent, founded a foundation in Dubai whose goal is to provide material and spiritual needs to orphans during Ramadan. He pleads the services of the foundation with the following statement he gave to The National newspaper on the 30th of May:
To give our children a chance to fight and survive, we strive to deliver books, food, and other aid to everyone in need, especially orphans, wherever in the world they may be.
The 34-year-old would provide food aid to Syrian refugees in Jordan when he got the opportunity and free time from competing in title competitions. Alongside this, he provides clothing aid to the villages of his own Muslim country, Gambia.
What’s more, Jack constructed a medical center at the center of the Al-Baqa camp for Palestinian refugees in Jordan and equipped it with new medical supplies. The professional boxer, with numerous championships, is the son of a Gambian father and a Swedish mother.
Jack, who is a Muslim with vision, also adds:
I feel obliged to be an example to others by providing help and aid to those in need. There aren’t many Muslim box champions in the world, I want to be one while also representing my Ummah (Muslim nation) to the best of my ability. I want to share my earnings with the Muslim world. As a Muslim, I want to be a good slave to Allah, and hold the belief that I have to be helpful to his slaves.
Attempts for Ramadan Aid
Jack’s most recent charitable activity was to send aid this Ramadan to Ahl-al-Azem, an association that supplies special supplies in Jordan.
What he has done till today has benefited those living in Muslim countries, but now his new aim is to raise awareness amongst people of different faiths living in different parts of the world. We do not separate the work we do as Muslim-non-Muslim, we aim to reach humanity as a general. This is a rule which everyone, despite their religious beliefs, needs to live by. Unfortunately, in today’s world, people can easily exclude others due to their ethnicity or religion.
This article was originally written in Turkish. Click to read it! Ünlü Boksör Kendini Yetim Çocuklara Adadı
