Every year the anniversary of Mustafa Saeed Rahman’s untimely death is a reminder of the sorrows and hope life can simultaneously bring our way. On March 23, 1999 a senseless car accident took the life of a young, vibrant, intelligent boy, plunging the Rahman family into an indescribable darkness. Rather than dwelling in this darkness, the family became resolute in carrying Mustafa’s name on – through creating the light of hope for millions of under privileged children and families around the world. The creation of the One Ummah Foundation reminds us all that good can come from unimaginable tragedy and provide an inspirational story for us all to cling to during our darkest days.
Since the start of One Ummah in 2000, we’ve brought hope to children around the world including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Somalia, South Africa, United States and beyond. The foundation has reached over 150,000 children and 50,000 needy families with the $5 million spent on projects and charities. None of this would be possible without the tireless work and sacrifices made by our charity partners across the world winning victories for humanity every day and working towards eliminating child labor through education.
Each charity program is unique, with an overarching goal of providing the resources needed to create a sustainable life for families and their communities. Our main initiatives focus on bringing educational resources to the most under privileged - from building schools for children living in the actual landfills of Kachra Kundi (Thaakat & the Idara Al-Khair Society) to the funding of schools for children in Cambodia (including one in Mustafa’s name)- our reach is endless.
In addition to children’s education charities, we also know children need life’s basic needs to even make it through the door of a school which is why we provide health care to the poor and needy and nutritional support from Pakistan to San Francisco. When the time comes, One Ummah also provides support for humanitarian crises which leave large groups of people in difficult situations. Most recently, we’ve provided help to our partners focusing on the Rohingya refugee crisis and the Somalia drought.
Martin Luther King Jr once said “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.” Join us today in driving out the dark with light for the most needy children and families across the world.