Children are a blessing from The Most High.
I was first introduced to the GiveLight Foundation when I attended the GiveLight Global Bistro about 10 years ago in Palo Alto, California.That day, my husband Asim and I had decided to treat our girls to an afternoon with delicious food and fun activities. Little did I know that one day, I would have the golden opportunity to visit one of the homes that GiveLight was supporting.
My daughters Natalia and Rania (16 years and 14 years) have been involved with GiveLight for the past couple of years. When we decided to go on this trip to Multan, I had no idea that it would have such a lasting impact on me.
Natalia, Rania, and I had been planning this trip for the past month – fundraising, deciding on what gifts to buy for the children and activities that we would do with them. We reached Multan, Pakistan on April 16th, 2025 after a pleasant 3 hour flight via FlyDubai.
We were greeted at the airport with flowers by Shazia, and were driven to Mehmood Uncle’s home where we were to stay for the next 4 days.
After resting a little, we got ready to meet the children at Bait-e-Jamila, which is the name of the home in Multan. It was a short 15 minute drive. As soon as the gate opened, we were greeted by all the children and staff. Nothing had prepared me for the moment when I first saw the beautiful, innocent and smiling faces of the children. They were throwing rose petals at us, their faces filled with excitement to see us. I felt my eyes fill with tears when I hugged them.
We were given a tour of the home, and I was really impressed to see how well the children were taken care of. Bait-e-Jamila is divided into 4 homes and each home has 7-8 children and 1-2 mothers depending on the ages of the children. Every home has a children’s bedroom with each child having a bed and a closet, a kitchen, mother’s room and a dining/play area. The mothers are responsible for making the children’s breakfast but there is a chef at the home who is responsible for cooking for everyone so that the mothers are not overburdened.
They had prepared a delicious meal for all of us with fresh ingredients and, after lunch, we met the children in the common play area to distribute chocolates and goodies. The sweet smiles and the excitement of the children filled me with a deep sense of contentment. I was amazed when I felt a tap on my shoulder with a tiny girl insisting on feeding her chocolates to me.
They had prepared an amazing performance for us, starting from the recitation of the Holy Quran to a speech by Usman.
Every child had their own personality, with some mischievous and some quiet. Each child had their own story, and my heart felt so sad hearing about all that these tiny, innocent souls had gone through in life. But I am grateful that they are in a place where they are well taken care of. The sweetest thing that I experienced was when two little boys came up to me, and were quietly requesting to keep a game of Ludo in their house and promised to share since they were brothers living in the same home.
The next few days were spent with us visiting the home in the afternoons after the kids came home from school. On our second day, the girls with the help of the staff made cards with the children, which they enjoyed thoroughly. We came to know that Sofia the First was their favorite Cartoon character and pink was every girls’ favorite color. Each child was gifted new backpacks, pencil cases, caps, dolls and cars and colouring books.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that the home had a very nice library along with computers for the children to use. There was also a really fun trampoline and a swing, along with a water fountain in the playground so that the children could enjoy the outdoors.
On our last day there, Natalia and Rania decided to have a water balloon fight with everyone. The happy sounds and the squeals of excitement when a balloon hit them was a memory that I will always cherish. By the end of the day, we were all drenched and laughing.
That night was our last night there, as we had our flight early the next morning. I felt like bursting into tears as I hugged them one last time, not knowing when I would get to meet them again.
The best part of our trip was being able to communicate with the staff and the children and forming a deep connection with them. The girls and I felt completely at home there. By the time our trip ended, it was as if I had known everyone for ages. They felt like family. I am so thankful for all the love and the kindness of everyone at the beautiful home, from the mothers to the entire staff and the children.
I pray to God that these children always stay in His protection and that we continue to support them not only with our monetary donations, but also with our love and time. May He fulfill all their dreams and shower His blessings upon them. Ameen!