Rahma has a master’s degree (an MBA) in marketing and international business from Santa Clara University. Until recently, she was working in the private equity/investment banking sector. In 2011, after losing her own mother to cancer, she made a conscious choice to help start a non-profit organization in Dubai, UAE. Her mission was to raise funds to help those struck by cancer and unable to afford its treatment. She recently moved back to her hometown, San Francisco and is now working full-time for the GiveLight foundation as the Director, Operations & Programs. She loves to travel around the world and capture beautiful moments with her photography.
What about life inspires you?
If I talk about myself, I am the only one who can inspire myself to succeed in life. The very first step of success is to know your desire and passion. Motivation is the only source for success and nothing is better than self-motivation. The secret of success is getting ahead and the secret of getting ahead is to set your goals and achieve them regularly. To some, when they think of success, they imagine wealth; others want power; I just want to make a positive impact on the world. In order to do that, I look up to people who had everything but chose to live a life of giving. My inspiration lies in learning from role models like Mother Teressa, Nelson Mandela, Mohammad (PBUH) and more recently, Sulaiman bin Abdul Aziz Al Rajhi, Charles Francis Feeney, and Bill Gates.
Why did you choose to work with GiveLight Foundation?
After being in the corporate rate race for more than 15 years, I had to go through a personal trauma of losing a parent to cancer and that was the one event that made me think of life more than a 9-5 job. The road to transition wasn’t easy but it was rewarding in a different way. Now being part of GiveLight family, I feel I can continue to have a small impact on someone’s life somewhere in the world.
How do you help make a difference by doing what you do here?
I am hoping to be involved with all aspects of this organization, starting from establishing an organization structure with controls and accountability for everyone involved. To stay focused on the end-users, our orphans, and make sure that their need and well-being is put at first. To assure we have an organization that will scale and will become ready for expansion. I am excited to be part of this ship that has just set sail on a long journey.
