The Puerto Rican singer Nicky Jam has once again put his private jet at the service of humanitarian aid, this time to deliver supplies to Quibdó, Chocó, one of the areas hardest hit by the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that shook Colombia on August 10.
An Instagram story posted from that city shows the interior of the aircraft filled with cardboard boxes, Pampers diaper packs, and bags, while staff in orange vests organize the supplies on board. This gesture comes days before the artist announced, along with Grupo Empresarial Argos, the "Adopt a Home" campaign to rebuild homes in the most affected regions.
It’s not the first time that Nicky Jam has used his plane to respond to a disaster. In July, the artist lent the aircraft to send aid to Venezuela following the earthquakes on June 24. On that occasion, he stated: “I’m lending my plane to deliver supplies to Venezuela,” and promised it would not be the only trip.
The Colombian earthquake occurred at 7:34 in the morning and caused a disaster of historical proportions. The death toll rose from the initial 74 fatalities to over 240 deceased according to later reports, with thousands injured and missing in Chocó, the Coffee Triangle, and Valle del Cauca.
Faced with such magnitude, Nicky Jam partnered with Grupo Argos to launch "Adopt a Home," an initiative that started with an initial donation of 13 billion Colombian pesos —about 3.2 million dollars— aimed at repairing and rebuilding homes in the most affected areas.
The campaign operates with a matching donation mechanism: for every peso contributed by citizens or companies, Grupo Argos and Nicky Jam will match it, aiming to reach a total fund of 26 billion pesos. The alliance was formed from a phone call between the singer and Juan Esteban Calle, president of the conglomerate.
The artist made a public appeal to other artists and public figures to join in, invoking his personal debt to the country where he relaunched his career between 2007 and 2010: "Colombia, my people, my heart is with you. To all the artists, to everyone who can join, I am calling you: let's adopt homes, let's be there for those who are losing everything in this tragedy. Together we can achieve more. Colombia is not alone."
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