Charity
Charity is pleasing and praiseworthy in the sight of God and is regarded as a prince among goodly deeds.
Bahá'u'lláh
Dear Friends
This site is dedicated to these three charities. If you have found this website useful and would like to show appreciation for the work I have done, please take the time to donate to one of these charities.
Mona Foundation was founded in 1999 by a small group of people committed to making life better for all of our children. The Foundation supports grassroots educational initiatives that provide education to all children, increase opportunities for women and girls, and emphasize service to the community. Our goal is to alleviate global poverty and support community led transformation such that no child ever goes to bed hungry, is lost to preventable diseases, or is deprived of gift of education for lack of resources.
We believe that the keys to alleviating poverty are universal education, gender equality, and community building. We also believe that regardless of who they are or what their economic status is, people have the right and the responsibility to lead the development of their own communities. The programs we support have proven records of success, backed by the local community.
The BlinkNow Foundation’s mission is to provide an education and a loving, caring home for orphaned, impoverished and at-risk children. We also provide community outreach to reduce poverty, empower women, improve health, and encourage sustainability and social justice. The Foundation fulfills its mission by providing financial support and management oversight to the Children’s Home and Kopila Valley School in Surkhet, Nepal.
Every day we strive to create a sustainable organization working to educate all of Kopila’s children until they are ready to enter the world as happy, skilled, confident, self-sufficient and English-speaking adults. We believe we can serve as a model for quality education in Nepal. We will strive to provide our children with scholarships (should they choose to pursue higher education), and the skills required to enter the workforce.
We place a huge emphasis on working together with our local community, conducting programs and providing scholarships for girls and socially vulnerable young women, thereby encouraging women’s empowerment and gender equality. We offer vocational training skills to develop self-sufficiency including sewing, cooking, gardening, husbandry, computer skills, business and entrepreneurial skills. These skills not only benefit our home and school by providing locally grown food and locally made uniforms, but also benefit the community.
For over 30 years, iDE Canada has been creating businesses that work for those experiencing poverty in eleven countries around the world. Using market-based solutions to solve problems related to sanitation and farming, entrepreneurs increase their incomes and improve their living conditions. In turn, these new businesses deliver life-changing products and services to millions of people who need them. Nutritious food can now be supplied by farmers who irrigate their crops in the dry season and families can now purchase their first water filter.
Your donation supports entrepreneurs who build businesses and create lifesaving products such as water pumps and toilets.
Writings on Charity
From the Bahá’í Writings
To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Persian Hidden Words n. 49)
This is the Day whereon the Ocean of God's mercy hath been manifested unto men, the Day in which the Day Star of His loving-kindness hath shed its radiance upon them, the Day in which the clouds of His bountiful favor have overshadowed the whole of mankind. Now is the time to cheer and refresh the down-cast through the invigorating breeze of love and fellowship, and the living waters of friendliness and charity.
(Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 7)
He, verily, shall recompense the charitable, and doubly repay them for what they have bestowed.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings, CXXVIII)
They who are possessed of riches must have the utmost regard for the poor... Great is the blessedness awaiting the poor that endure patiently and conceal their sufferings, and well is it with the rich who bestow their riches on the needy and prefer them before themselves.
(Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 202)
This Wronged One testifieth that the purpose for which mortal men have, from utter nothingness, stepped into the realm of being, is that they may work for the betterment of the world and live together in concord and harmony.
(Bahá'u'lláh, The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 332)
Man must spiritually perceive that religion has been intended by God to be the means of grace, the source of life and cause of agreement. If it becomes the cause of discord, enmity and hatred, it is better that man should be without it. For in its teachings we seek the spirit of charity and love to bind the hearts of men together. If, on the contrary, we find it alienates and embitters human hearts, we are justified in casting it aside. Therefore, when man through sincere investigation discovers the fundamental reality of religion, his former prejudices disappear, and his new condition of enlightenment is conducive to the development of the world of humanity.
(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 327)
To be continually giving out for the good of our fellows undeterred by the fear of poverty and reliant on the unfailing bounty of the Source of all wealth and all good – that is the secret of right living.
(Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian: 32).
From the Qur'an
Those who (in charity) spend of their goods by night and by day, in secret and in public, have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (Surah 2:274)
The charity of those who expend their wealth in the Way of Allah may be likened to a grain of corn, which produces seven ears and each ear yields a hundred grains. Likewise Allah develops manifold the charity of anyone He pleases, for He is All-Embracing, All-Wise. (Surah 2:261)
And be steadfast in prayer and regular in charity: and whatever good ye send forth for your souls before you ye shall find it with Allah; for Allah sees well all that ye do. (Surah 2:110)
From the Bible
But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you. (Luke 11:41)
And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)
Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. (Luke 12:33)
In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves. Don’t be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too. (Philippians 2:3-4)
From the Old Testament
If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD–and he will repay you! (Proverbs 19:17)
From the sayings of Gautama Buddha
True charity occurs only when there are no notions of giving, giver, or gift.
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
He that distributeth not That which he hath received-- His food, his drink, his sustenance-- Unto devotee, brahman, beggar, wayfarer-- Such a low man as he, they say, is like Unto a lack of rain.
From the Bhagavad Gita
Charity given to a worthy person simply because it is right to give, without consideration of anything in return, at the proper time and in the proper place, is stated to be in the mode of goodness. (BG 17:20)