Saturday, July 12, 2014

NURture that Empathy!

The 99 Orphan team is extremely grateful to Sister Mariam and her friend for helping raise money for orphans.  All the way from the D.C. area, they were able to raise a few hundred dollars for our cause.  May Allah reward them for their efforts. 

This is what they have to say about our project:

NURture that Empath!

60 Orphans!  Impressive for sure!  How did this team get here?  I found myself asking this and recalled my memory of Nur (president of 99 Orphans) and her family.  

As the eldest of 5, Nur was likely forced into the role of being the leader and the go-to for support and guidance for her siblings.  I feel this helped her to develop into the kind of empathetic and motivated leader that inspires other youth to utilize their resources and abilities to better the lives of those less fortunate.  There is no doubt that Nur and her siblings were raised very well, but I fully believe that their work in this orphan sponsorship project has enriched their own lives greatly.

This is true for the entire team. 99 Orphans supports children who, on top of lacking basic necessities, no longer have parents to rely on or turn to. A large part of the team's success comes from the ability to encourage others to contribute their resources to the cause.  The young members raise funds to be able to provide food, clothing, and education to orphans around the world while enhancing their own lives when being able to understand the circumstances of those they strive to help.

This is NOT a one-and-done, check-that-off-your-list type of accomplishment, but a project that requires continuous effort.  Impressed by their work, I posted online in efforts to reach more potential contributors.  One of the the first to respond was a good friends of mine, Kainat, who immediately expressed her support and willingness to help. She is a great example of someone who has developed that empathy and demonstrated this by rallying her own friends to sponsor an orphan.  $600 helps one child for one year.  Despite working full time as a research scientist and caring for a relative going through chemotherapy, Kai still had the heart to realize the need for this project's success. I am inspired by her ability to raise enough to sponsor an orphan from within her own circle.  Others too can help by creating a fundraiser, sponsoring an orphan, or raising awareness online.  I am looking forward to hearing about Kai's experiences on an upcoming blog post!

Ramadan Mubarak!

- Mariam Mehter

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