Dear dear Friend,

Warm welcome to Mahtabe. Karibu sana. आपका स्वागत है. Assalamu alaikum.

If you ask a child why he or she is playing in a certain way, they will often answer, “I don’t know. Just because.” They don’t know because they are not thinking. They are feeling; creatively expressing something from the heart—they are doing what they are doing without motive.

At Mahtabe — a slight derivation of the ancient Persian name meaning “light of the moon” — we believe in service, giving, and helping without motive.

If there is any motive to serve, give, or help others in need, then we are leading with our minds that see problems to solve—our giftees become a means to an end and human connection gets missed.

We do what we do, i.e., work on the root causes of poverty, just because. Because that is something we are called to do, and where our hearts are involved in a joyful way. There is no reason and no real choice about it. Our giftees become friends, partners, and co-creators in this process.