KAMPALA, Uganda

Muslim students and some Muslim-founded schools in Uganda have contributed $10,000 to the victims of the Feb. 6 twin earthquakes in Türkiye.

A Muslim student leader in eastern Uganda, Salim Mubekete, told Anadolu they donated the money to show solidarity with the Turkish people and the Muslim community at large, who have contributed a lot towards the construction of mosques at their schools and in the region.

He cited a technical institute as an example which recently opened in the district of Luwero in central Uganda that was built with funds from the Turkish people and donors from Arab countries.

“We were touched by what happened to our brothers and sisters in Türkiye. It is unfortunate that the earthquake killed many people in the country, whose people have been helping us in various ways,” he said.

Mubekete said they approached many schools managed by Muslim communities and individuals and asked students to contribute money towards the earthquake victims in Türkiye. He said Muslim students eagerly contributed money and the schools added to what the students raised and in total they received the equivalent of $10,000.

The head teacher of Bulyanku Muslim Primary School, Jamil Wamba, said most students at his school contributed money that was meant for them to buy something to eat during break time. He appreciated the spirit shown by the students.

Uganda Muslim Supreme Council spokesman Ashraf Muvawala told Anadolu they have not yet come up with a program for raising money for the earthquake victims in Türkiye and Syria but they appreciate the individuals and organizations that have contributed to the cause. ​​​​​​​

At least 41,020 people have been killed by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, the country’s disaster management agency said Sunday.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes were centered in Kahramanmaras and struck 10 other provinces – Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Hatay, Gaziantep, Malatya, Kilis, Osmaniye, Elazig and Sanliurfa. More than 13 million people have been affected by the devastating quakes.

Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, also felt the strong tremors that struck Türkiye in the space of less than 10 hours.