In 2015, the world was shaken by a simple, heartbreaking image—Allan Kurdy, a little Syrian boy, washed up on the beach near Bodrum, Turkey. It was a moment that pierced through the statistics and headlines, revealing the magnitude of human pain behind every person from the Syrian crisis. People were fleeing in the millions, yet for many, the horrors of war ended not with safety, but tragedy.
Winter was setting in and the images of cold, homeless families haunted the world. The GiveLight Inland Empire team, moved by sorrow, launched a blanket drive. Dian, our beloved founder, simply said: “If you want to do it, go for it—let’s see how far we come. You have my full support.”
And with that encouragement, Allah sent His barakah. In just three weeks, we raised $100,000. With each step—from sourcing blankets, to physically witnessing the sealing the container at the Turkish Consulate, and making tons dua—I was grateful to be a part of the bigger picture-gratitude filled my heart.
Soon, I found myself on a flight to Istanbul, following the journey of those blankets to the border of Syria and Turkey, where they were placed in the hands of those most in need.
This was the first of my GiveLight journeys. Alhamdulillah I was humbled to distribute those blankets to families, children, and individuals in desperate circumstances. I was given the honor of preparing meals in refugee camps and handed them to women and children who became sisters and sons to me for a moment. I played with the children, listened to mothers who were now the sole breadwinners, and witnessed the resilience carved by hardship.
Working with Dian and GiveLight opened the door to a world I had always dreamed of as a child. My mother became an orphan at 6, growing up in apartheid South Africa. Her stories carved a wish within me—to help orphans all over the world. Dian nurtured this dream, guiding me to realize it through action.
Over the years, Dian pushed me to start a food business, always encouraging, always praising my work. When I made my intention last year, I began my journey back home in South Africa. Once again, barakah followed: I volunteered at the GiveLight orphanage in Cape Town, the kids and I made chicken Alfredo, salad, garlic bread, dessert, all sorts of yummy things. A simple meal that filled the heart with joy and gratitude. We talked, we giggled, we started singing nasheeds, but somehow ended up singing almost every Sharukh Khan song at least once and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai twice. We played games and did crafts in their beautiful home, filled with Noor made so the children can thrive and grow with love. My mum had the opportunity to talk to the kids, she told them the story of how she lost both her parents in the span of three weeks, and that she went to school barefoot. She said: Never think that you are not blessed and that great things are not possible for you, they absolutely are! Look at me and far Allah had brought me.
At every milestone, GiveLight was the thread weaving blessings into my every step, and Dian—truly the mother of all GiveLight children—a source of noor and barakah.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Whoever shelters an orphan, he and I will be like this in Paradise,” and he held his two fingers together.
I am a witness to this truth—the blessings and barakah that surround those who serve orphans, and especially Dian, whose love is a sanctuary for so many. May Allah continue to grant her and everyone involved the noor, mercy, and reward promised to those who bring comfort and hope to children in need.
Fiona Motala,
CEO and Founder of Lekker Kitchen.