Two-Division World Champion, philanthropist and entrepreneur Badou Jack made good on his promise to give back to refugee children abroad as he visited the Baqaa Refugee Camp in Jordan Saturday as part of his overall mission to give children around the globe a fighting chance at life through his Badou Jack Foundation.
Photo: Team Jack
“I promised my friends at the Baqaa camp I would be back and was so happy to see and spend time with them again,” said Jack. “I’m truly blessed to be in a position to help these children in need. As a Muslim, my duty is to help those in need. In order to serve God, you have to serve humanity. It meant more to me than anything to see the smiles on their faces when they saw me again.”
Jack was greeted by the Prime Minister of Jordan Omar Al Razzaz upon arrival as he supports Jack’s excellent work and dedication to the region. During the visit to the camp, Jack officially launched the Badou Jack Education Center – a state of the art facility to that will hold extracurricular activities for the children as well as teach computer skills, language and literacy.
“The Badou Jack Education Center is something that I take a lot of pride in, to help these kids create a better life for themselves,” continued Jack. “My wife Yasemin visited the camp with me this trip, and we are both committed to giving these children all of the tools necessary to succeed and have a fighting chance in life.”
As part of his commitment to the camp, Jack is personally dedicated to watching over 15 orphans. This includes meals, clothes and additional expenses. The Badou Jack Foundation will offer them computer, technology and language education to help them with essential tools to help build their futures.
He is also working closely with the camp to sponsor the education of a boy with cerebral palsy. Sixteen-year-old Ayoob, who has had four surgeries, is completely illiterate as no school in the area would take him in, therefore Jack will be funding a special educator to teach him how to read as well as equip the camp to be handicap compatible.
This is all made possible by Jack himself as well as the funds raised through the Badou Jack Foundation. But it doesn’t stop there. Jack’s nutrition line, Ripper Nutrition, is launching a nutrition bar that will directly benefit the refugee children. For every bar sold, a shake will be provided for the kids in the camp that will be packed with micro and macro nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Studies show that three out of five children in refugee camps are severely malnourished.
“With the innovation of the nutrition bar in exchange for a child’s meal, Ripper Nutrition is truly becoming a nutrition company with a purpose,” said Amer Abdallah, Jack’s business manager and co-founder of Ripper Nutrition. “Badou’s dedication to these children in need is incredible and we plan to support it through his various endeavors in the U.S., Middle East and Asia. The sky is the limit.”
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Two-division world champion and philanthropist Badou Jack has officially launched Badou Jack Promotions and Events LLC in the United Arab Emirates, as he continues to grow his portfolio of ventures outside of the ring.
“I am looking forward to bringing a lot of excitement to Dubai with some very entertaining combat sports events,” said Jack. “This is a great opportunity to take the next step in my career with this promotional company. We’re looking to build something with the fighters and the fans that will become part of the fabric of the entertainment culture in this region.”
Badou Jack Promotions will hold their inaugural event on Friday, May 3 from the Five Palms Jumeriah in Dubai.
“Five Palm Jumeirah Dubai is excited to partner with Badou Jack Promotions to deliver an unforgettable evening of excitement and entertainment on May 3,” said Aloki Batra, CEO Five Hospitality.
Adding to his sports supplement company Ripper Nutrition and non-profit organization the Badou Jack Foundation, Jack’s promotional company is another aspect of his burgeoning enterprise.
“Badou is very popular in the Middle Eastern region”, said Jack’s Business Manager Amer Abdallah. “He has a tremendous business mind and is eager to put on some great events in Dubai.”
Jack has been in the Middle East since his fight in January, doing charitable missions while also exploring entrepreneurial opportunities in the region that he has frequented throughout recent years.
“We have tremendous support from the Dubai market and our investor group, with some exciting events planned,” Abdallah stated. “We are excited to launch the promotion and deliver great entertainment to our fans in Dubai starting with the May 3 event.”
With the May 3 date set, and bigger events in the works for the future, Jack is on his way to bolstering his business credentials with this new company, while also providing unique viewing experiences for the people in the UAE.
“This is a region steeped in tradition and culture,” said Jack. “We believe the time is right to invest in making combat sports a fun and entertaining part of that culture. The audience is there; we just need to bring them memorable events worth of this vibrantregion.”