About Us

Saving the Girl Child - the Blessing of Allah

HOME International (HOME) is a nonprofit, 501(c) (3) tax deductible, charitable organization registered in California on June 2012 with the Attorney General’s Office of Charitable Trusts. We are also registered as a trust in Pakistan called HOME Charity Trust (Waqf).

Be assured that 100% of all donations go for the welfare and education of orphan girls. Our major project is to build and run a home for orphan girls in Lahore, Pakistan. We are committed and dedicated to give a prosperous future to the most disadvantaged orphan girls in Pakistan by raising them in healthy, Islamic environment with love, care, education and life skills to help them succeed.

Our Motivation

We are doing this noble work to please Allah SWT. The Quran tells us:

“the Righteous are…those who feed the poor, the orphan…for the Love of Allah. (Saying), We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: we seek from you neither reward nor thanks” (Quran 76:8-9).

The founders, Br. Mohammad Mazhar Rasul and Sr. Kuralay Mazhar have donated a piece of land to build a home for orphan girls in Lahore, Pakistan. They want to leave this legacy behind as a perpetual charity (Sadaqa Jariah) for the benefit of future generations.

Unfortunately, orphan girls are more vulnerable to neglect, abuse and falling into the wrong hands.

They remain illiterate and dependant on begging. In Pakistan, over 150,000 children are working on the streets and approximately 50 per cent of them are involved in child prostitution according to Faiza Mirza. (Dawn, Jul 23, 2012.)

HOME International wants to offer orphan girls a better future. God willing, the girls living in our home will some day become doctors, lawyers, teachers, professionals, government officials working to serve their communities and humanity.

OUR WORK

Our program focuses on quality over quantity. Our home for orphan girls is an institution that maintains the highest standards of education, health, safety, and character building. In the first phase of our project, we have been hosting five girls living in the family like atmosphere.

For their educational and medical needs, we use the Sharif Educational Complex and Sharif Medical Complex, and also a Government School for Girls, located nearby.

The girls will be provided guidance and resources to help them achieve their education and life goals to our best of ability. We are building partnerships and alliances with like-minded organizations. We are always in search of committed and dedicated people to become our members, donors, patrons and volunteers.

Meet the Team

Chairman and Founder

Mohammad Mazhar Rasul

Mohammad Mazhar Rasul is the founding chairman of HOME International USA and HOME Charity Trust Pakistan. He oversees projects from construction to daily operations, financing, development and marketing. He has an MBA degree in marketing from Alliant International University, California and MSc Chemistry degree from Punjab University, Lahore. He has spent 27 years in the U.S. He held different research and development and management positions in in Pakistan and the U.S. He also has experience in running an international import and wholesale business. He has extensive public relations and volunteer experience with various organizations including American Red Cross, OC Human Relations, ICNA, Islamic Relief and CAIR fundraising. He is a PHF Rotarian and has organized several WhyIslam Orange County activities. He has a lifelong passion for charity work and a goal to build and run a world-class orphanage in Pakistan.

Co-Founder

Kuralay Mazhar

A mom with a never ending love for children.

President

Atiya Akbar

Atiya Akbar is a strong, passionate, and caring mother of three girls. She has a Masters Degree in Computer Science and serves as the CFO for a manufacturing company cofounded by her and her husband. Her passion is to be able to help and touch as many lives as she can. She has volunteered her time on many occasions with organizations like ICNA, IRUSA, and South County Outreach. It has always been her dream to help orphans. When Atiya first met the cofounders of HOME International, she realized that she shared their passion and became a part of the team.

Chief Financial Officer

Sana Ahmedani

Sana Ahmedani is blessed to be a mother to three boys. Before she became a mother, she earned her M.B.A .from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA and worked as an executive compensation consultant at Mercer Consulting. She has always loved children and is grateful to have the opportunity to help orphans in this small way.

Secretary

Mariam Samardak

Mariam Samardak has a background in International Economics. She is currently persuing her Bachelor's Degree in Islamic Studies from Al Mishkah University and she is also enrolled in Irvine Valley College as a Biomedical Engineering major. She is an active member and volunteer at the Islamic Center of Irvine and is passionate about helping and serving others.

Senior Advisor

Mike Whipple

Mike Whipple received his B.S. in Engineering from CSU Long Beach and his M.B.A. from UCLA. He has extensive background in investment banking and financial consultation. Since retirement, he has dedicated his time to community and charity. He is currently the chairman of International Orphan Care, based in Laguna Hills, California, and the President of M. F. Whipple & Associates. He is also a former councilman of Laguna Niguel, California.

Media Manager

Aneesah Akbar

Aneesah Akbar is currently a Biological Sciences undergraduate at UC Irvine. She manages the HOME International website and social media. She has always had a passion for community service and has been involved in organizations such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, CareHarbor LA, and Access California. Currently, she volunteers at a local hospital and is a member of UC Irvine’s chapter of the American Red Cross. Her goal is to become a pediatric physician and provide medical care to underprivileged youth all over the world.

Fundraising Chair

Fakiha Atick

Fakiha Atick is a caring and loving mother of three. She is passionate about helping those in need. Her dedication to community service is what attracted her to join the HOME International team. After meeting the founders and learning more about the mission of HOME International, she knew she had to be a part of it.

Patron

Muhammad Afzal Tahir

Muhammad Afzal Tahir is a retired four-star rank admiral and the former Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) of the Pakistani Navy. He served from October 2005 to October 2008.

Patron

Waseem Khokhar

Waseem Khokhar is a lawyer. He has established and currently manages the operations of the legal firm PrincewaterhouseCoopers in the Middle East. He is a graduate of the University of Warwick, England, in Computer Systems and Engineering as well as the University of Westminster Law School.