There is nothing like breaking barriers and boundaries. Bridging the gap and bringing two cultures together shows the absolute beauty of Islam. I am Palestinian American and Ahmed is full Sri Lankan.

When Ahmed and I got married we knew right away that we wanted to make a difference. In lieu of favors we decided to donate to various charities which represented both of our cultures. The GiveLight home was our obvious choice for Sri Lanka , which was a joint project with The AAM Marleen Foundation. We love Dian Alyan’s beautiful work Masha Allah and without a doubt this home was our first choice. 

Knowing we made a difference in our wedding matters to us. We are so blessed living this life, praise be to God, that we made sure to give back to those who need it most. These orphans and the families we’ve helped along the way deserve it and so much more. It is known that we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. Serving our communityis what we’re here for. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said “One is not grateful to God, who is not grateful to the people” and what better way to give back and celebrate that than on our wedding day.

We encourage you to give what you can and to help support GiveLight Foundations projects. Please keep these orphans, GiveLight Foundation as well as Ahmed and I in your continuous prayers. 

Haneen Hammad

Santa Clara, CA