Friends of Kenyan national Anwar Ali Bakari Abdurrahman say they are still trying to come to terms with his tragic death last week in a fatal collision on West Bay Road.
Abdurrahman’s friend, Hellen Mathenge, in a telephone interview with the Cayman Compass on Tuesday, said his friends and family are still in shock over the father-of-three’s sudden death.
Abdurrahman, 41, a loss prevention officer at The Ritz-Carlton, was killed in a collision involving his car, a Honda Civic, and a Hyundai Santa Fe, outside The Ritz-Carlton Residences on 26 May.
The driver of the Hyundai, a 24-year-old man from West Bay was subsequently arrested for DUI and later bailed.
Abdurrahman, she said, was a devout Muslim and was quick to render assistance to anyone in need.
“He was a quiet person, softly spoken, very friendly, very helpful. For many friends and housemates that he’s lived with in Cayman, they all say he was very considerate and very loving and always willing to lend a hand whenever someone was struggling or whenever someone was facing some personal challenges. He was just a very kind person, and it probably stems from his religion,” Mathenge said.
Abdurrahman, she said, came to the Cayman Islands about four years ago to support his family and elderly parents back in Kenya.
She said his three children are actually his nephews and niece; he became their legal guardian following his sister’s death some years back.
“He has been the sole breadwinner for the family and his ailing mum,” she said.
Although he was far from home, Mathenge said, he continued to practise his religion in Cayman.
“He was very kind and very nice and warm at the mosque too,” she added.
‘Amazing’ fundraising response
As news of Abdurrahman’s death of spread, those who knew and loved him rallied around his family to contribute to a GoFundMe started in his memory.
Abdurrahman’s friend, Charles Njuguna, started the fundraiser with a goal of raising US $20,000 (CI $16,400) to cover funeral expenses, as well as to assist Abdurrahman’s family with any unforeseen expenses.
Mathenge said the response from the community has been “amazing.” Initially, she said they set up a WhatsApp group to help generate funds for the bereaved family, however Njuguna expanded their efforts using GoFundMe.
“We were pleasantly shocked and happy to see what’s going on. There’s a bill of approximately $8,500 KYD. So the goal that we have actually now clearly surpasses the bill that we have here,” she said.
She added that additional funds raised “will go towards helping, especially the children back home and his elderly parents back home”.
Mathenge urged drivers to be considerate on Cayman’s roads, lamenting “there are consequences… and some of them are tragic”.
Abdurrahman was the eighth person to die on Cayman’s roads since the start of the year.
Those in community who either worked with, or knew, Abdurrahman have also taken to social media to express their sadness over his sudden death, describing him as a “kind and true gentleman.”
On the Cayman Compass Facebook page commenters have also reflected on Abdurrahman’s character as they sent their prayers to the family.
Evan Pyle, in a comment on the story advising of the 41-year-old’s death, said, “I remember the times when I would see Ali, always a smile on his face. I saw him at Foster’s and his face brightened up in in joy to see me, we had a quick chat while at the grocery store, I’m sad to think it’s the last time we spoke.”
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