Kimse Yok Mu holds friendship dinner at Somali family’s home

Kimse Yok Mu (KYM) Balikesir chapter sponsored a friendship dinner at a Somali family’s home that emigrated to the city one and a half year ago due to the drought in their native country. The KYM’s little volunteers and the Somali students that the foundation brought to Turkey for study were also present at the gathering. The children thanked the foundation for the traditional Somali food they had longed for.

The foundation’s volunteers handed the aid packages of food to the Sharif family. Additionally, the children of the family received clothing and toy packages from the volunteers. The volunteers and the children sat together at the dinner and broke their fasts following the prayer after adhan. In addition to Private Firat High School students, others from Kutahya, Manisa and Afyonkarahisar cities were among the dinner’s guests. Father Sayid Ahmed Sharif Ali expressed his thanks to Turkey for embracing his family. “Kimse Yok Mu especially is helping those in need. It has carried out remarkable efforts in our country. I would like to thank the foundation for giving us this opportunity.”

Jamal Ibrahim Ali, a Somali student at Afyonkarahisar Private Zafer School, said “We’ve had the Somali food that we long for. I would like to thank Kimse Yok Mu and all.” Abdi Hakim Muhammed, another student from Balikesir Private Firat High School said he arrived in Turkey three years ago. “I studied at Manisa Sehzade Schools for a while. I learned Turkish in three months. Then I came here. Kimse Yok Mu brought us here from Somalia. May Allah be pleased with them.”

KYM Balikesir director Yasar Yesil said Ramadan has arrived with abundance like everywhere else around the world. “Allah treats us with mercy and abundance. As KYM Balikesir, we wanted to set sample of the Ramadan tables around the world. We brought five hundred students from Somalia for study three years ago. A couple of them are in Balikesir. We wanted to bring them together with a Somali family and help them ease their longing. They got happy and ate Somali food. Thanks to the family and our students.”

Yesil recalled the foundation has been sponsoring such dinners globally. “If you would like to be a part of such dinners around the world, you can simply text “IFTAR” to 577 and donate 5 Turkish Lira. You can join one of the thousand tables by this way. As KYM, we target 2,5 million people at iftar dinners this year. Besides, we aim to give away 400 thousand food packages and clothing aid for 50 thousand. Whoever would like to contribute can sponsor a food package for 60 Turkish Lira and clothing for 80 Turkish Lira.”

Published [in Turkish] on Cihan, 10 July 2014, Thursday