Give Light

Speech by our founder:

I begin by saying Bismillahi Rahmannirrahim!

My heart is overflowing with happiness to see all of you today. What an honor to be in the company of righteous people-- people who are drawn to the same noble cause. No matter who you are, or where you came from- the fact that you are here today means only one thing to me- that at some level, you share my dream of changing the world. Most of you are my friends, but for those I have not met, let me give you a glimpse my life, the paths that I have chosen and the trail I want to leave behind. Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamt of coming to America. That dream was fulfilled in a way I never thought possible. I was sent as the youngest manager from Asia to work in Procter & Gamble Cincinnati to be groomed as one of its future leaders. Destiny later took me to a completely different direction.

i am an engineer by degree, but chose marketing as a profession. I liked how marketing demands the ability to think strategically-- to find ways to persuade your audience and communicate your message in a compelling way. These skill sets proved to serve me well, both in business and in life. I had a thriving career, the chance to travel the world and the prestige of managing global brands. Despite all the glitter, two fundamental things were missing in my life:

1. Children

2. Sense of purpose.

After 8 years into my career, I chose to walk away from something I had worked so hard to built my entire adult life. I walked away with a deep conviction that one day I will find the true purpose of my existence-- the reason why God brought me from the hills of Aceh to this beautiful country. My husband and I later moved to California, and I began to do volunteer work. It was then that I realized how much happier I am when my identity is not defined by my title, but by what I am able to give to others. I later joined MCA as its Outreach Director, and shortly after that, my husband and I were blessed with our first son- Adnan, now 3 and then our second son Zam Zam. 2.  My happiness was complete.

Then the tsunami hit.  And my life was turned upside down. I began to question the purpose of my life all over again.  How should someone who has been blessed all her life react to such a challenge? Prolonged self-analysis and prayers gave me the courage to take the most daring, the most liberating journey of my life- the journey to find my true self.

I have finally found my next mountain to climb. With Givelight, I have found my Himalaya, my Mt. Everest. I pray that God does not take my soul until I reach the top.

I want Givelight to be a shining example of the beauty of human hearts.Through GiveLight , I want to show the world that our mutual passion can work as a unifying force to advance social and economic progress.  Through GiveLight and volunteerism, we can begin to transform lives- not only of those we seek to help, but of our own.  Through GL, we will find the neediest of orphans-  from the coast of the Indian Ocean, to the mountains of Tibet and all the way to the barren dessert of Africa.

Let us all in this room today ask the question: what makes us more deserving of happiness than those children who have been left behind in the world ? Why were we given the chance to live in one of the richest countries in the world- in Silicon Valley - the center of technology, innovation and excess money.   Think about it.

Today, I want us all to remember how fortunate we are.  What we spend in one meal can feed another human being for a month. Before you go to bed tonight, think about those who sleep under the canopy of the sky. When you kiss your children good night, think about those children who will never experience that happiness. It will awaken the sense of humanity that might have been dormant inside of us.

I want to take a moment to thank my team of outstanding individuals who are not only passionate about the cause but who are also very talented. They are my extended family whom I care deeply about. God sent them into my life to help me achieve a higher purpose.  And I'm proud to say that I have everything I need here in this room to turn GiveLight into a world-class institution.

I want to thank my parents who cannot be here to share this joy and to whom I owe everything that I am today.  I thank my father for teaching me how to think and my mother for showing me how to love. I want to thank my husband Ashraf, the most brilliant diamond a woman can own. I thank my parents-in-law for raising such a beautiful human being.

Now you understand that I don't have any excuse not to do this job. This is the job I was born to do.  This is why God created me.

I will now let you watch a video clip with the highlights of our first orphanage and some of our orphans in Aceh. It is an important part of my life and I hope it will become an important part of yours.

Thank you for being here and for believing in this cause.