Two Qom Benefactors on School Building: Investing in the Future of Islamic Iran

Qom – Two school-building benefactors in Qom embody a view that seeks goodness not in accumulating wealth, but in leaving a lasting mark on people's lives.

Ambassador of Arjan - Provinces Group - Mohammad Parsa Yavari: Education, the foundation of the development and progress of every society and school, is the first bastion of building a bright future for tomorrow's generations, where ideas are formed, talents get a chance to flourish, and seeds of knowledge are planted in the lives of children who are going to shape the future of a land.

Therefore, building a school cannot be limited to building a few classrooms and erecting brick and cement walls, but a school is an investment in human beings and participation in building a future whose fruits are not limited to one family or one generation.

In this way, the benefactors of school builders have a role beyond providing financial resources, by turning their assets into new opportunities for learning, they provide access to education for children and teenagers and remind the society that the real value of wealth is sometimes not in what we keep for ourselves, but in the change we make in the lives of others.

The importance of this approach doubles when we know that not all students enter school in the same conditions, some need educational spaces suited to their special needs, some are deprived of basic educational facilities in underserved areas, and others need support and companionship more than anything to continue their education.

In such a situation, benefactors can be a link between the needs of the community and the capacities of the people by building schools, equipping educational centers, improving worn-out spaces and supporting needy families.

In Qom province, along with extensive educational and educational activities, there are benefactors who have dedicated a part of their property, power and life opportunity to service, people who believe that goodness should cross the border of words and flow in the form of tangible actions in people's lives.

On the eve of the 28th conference and festival of school-building benefactors in Qom province, the narrative of the life and experience of two of these benefactors opens a window to the deeper meaning of charity work, one by building a special school for students with mental disabilities and establishing a health service center, and the other by supporting and building activities and addressing the needs of low-income families, has tried to play its part in building a society with more educational and welfare opportunities.

Although these two narratives started from different paths, they meet at one point, a common belief that investing in education, health and comfort of people is one of the most lasting legacies that can be left behind.

We will listen to the words of Ali Asgari, one of the benefactors of Qom province's schools, who started his activity with an emotional motivation and a forward-looking outlook and used part of his mother's property and inheritance in the path of good work, and now he is trying to keep her name and memory alive in the form of lasting services for the society.

This philanthropic school builder says about his motivation to enter the field of school building: Man lives in this world, but what he leaves behind can continue in the lives of others. This view made me decide to dedicate a part of the property and inheritance that came to me from my mother to an activity whose effects will remain for years to come.

He added: With the support of the Qom Province School Renovation Group, the ground for building a school for exceptional students was provided.

For this good, school construction is not only limited to financing the construction of an educational building, and what gives meaning to this action is the presence of students who need facilities, environment and programs suited to their conditions in order to enjoy education.

About his first close encounter with the students of this school, he talks about an experience that deepened his view of the importance of this action.

This Khair Qomi explains: When the location of the school was proposed, my goal was to invest in a place where people would benefit directly.

He continues by describing the educational environment of the school after the construction: In the classes, there are students of different ages and the teachers consider a special educational program for each of them according to their conditions and needs. Seeing these efforts and getting to know the condition of the students was an impressive experience and I felt that this path can reach a valuable result.

He mentions encountering students with different disabilities, including blindness and mental disabilities, as part of his personal experience and believes that getting to know the lives and needs of these children makes the importance of providing suitable educational opportunities even more obvious.

From building schools to developing health services

The activities of this Qom charity are not limited to the construction of schools, he has also taken measures in the field of health and by participating in the construction of a health service center in Qom's power plant neighborhood, he has devoted part of his power to the development of medical services.

Ali Asgari says in this regard: Nirogah health service center was also built with our participation and it has been operating for more than a year now, and the school and this medical center are both named after my mother so that her memory and name remain in the form of serving the people.

From his point of view, education and health are two basic areas in the development of societies, areas that are given any amount of attention and investment, can provide the basis for growth and improvement of people's quality of life.

In advising people who have financial means, this good school builder emphasizes the need to pay attention to the future of themselves and their families in addition to social responsibility and says: fathers and mothers should strive to provide for the life and future of their children, but in addition to this responsibility, they should not neglect the opportunity to participate in lasting works, and investing in education and health is the foundation for many developments and developments, the effects of which will return to society.

Referring to life experiences and the importance of taking advantage of opportunities, he believes that accumulating wealth alone cannot guarantee the longevity of a person and what is important is how to use the available facilities to improve the lives of others.

Lasting good is good that gives life

In another part of his speech, this good school teacher refers to religious traditions about ongoing charity and the lasting effects of good deeds and says: From a religious point of view, some good deeds bring rewards to a person after his death, and building a place that people can use and leaving a legacy that others can benefit from and continue its path are examples of such works.

In his opinion, a school where students study for years, a center that helps people's health, and an environment that provides a platform for the growth and education of the future generation, can become a lasting legacy; A heritage whose value does not disappear with the passage of time, but flows in the lives of more people.

The narration of this Qumi good will finally return to the same point that was the beginning of his movement, using the opportunity that life provides to man to leave something beyond his material possessions.

Ali Asgari hopes that the school built in the name of his mother will be safe for the learning and growth of students with special needs for many years and that the health service center will also be able to contribute to the improvement of people's lives and the two monuments that together show an image of the bond of family love with social responsibility.

From repairing schools to supporting needy families

On the other side of this narrative, there is another benefactor from Qom province who started his activities by addressing the cultural and social needs of the people and gradually expanded the scope of his actions to the field of building schools, repairing and equipping educational spaces, building prayer halls and supporting low-income families.

We are happy to listen to the words of Javad Ghasemi Saadatmand, and Khair Qomi, referring to his experience of cultural activities and presence in urban and rural areas, says: During various programs and activities, we encountered deficiencies and problems in some schools.

He explains about the beginning of this path: One of our first actions was carried out in the village of Sarajeh in collaboration with the School Renovation Group, Ahl al-Bayt (PBUH) and Khairan, and in this project, the construction of a prayer hall with the participation of these groups was on the agenda.

According to him, this action is the beginning of a path in which an attempt is made to eliminate some of the existing deficiencies by identifying the needs of schools, activities that are not necessarily limited to large construction projects and sometimes include repairing a damaged part, improving facilities or providing a suitable space for students' cultural and religious activities.

Emphasizing the importance of people's participation in improving the conditions of schools, this philanthropist Qommi added: In addition to construction measures, we cooperate with various schools in the city and villages, and we try to follow up the needs of students, which are identified by school managers and officials, as much as possible.

15 years of experience in support and social fields

The scope of activities of this charity is not limited to the improvement of educational infrastructure, and supporting low-income families is also an important part of his programs and his collection.

Referring to about 15 years of activity in the support and social fields, he said: On various occasions, including the holy month of Ramadan, Eid al-Ghadir, half of Sha'ban and Nowruz, we distribute livelihood packages among needy families, and in addition, some families also benefit from the support of this collection on a monthly basis.

Referring to cooperation with schools to identify families in need, this Khair Qomi states: School administrators are aware of these activities, and whenever a family among students is identified that is facing livelihood problems, the matter is introduced to our group so that we can support that family as much as possible.

This method of cooperation strengthens the link between the school and social support, because the school, in addition to its educational role, can provide the basis for identifying some of the hidden needs of families and pave the way for them to access public support.

In such a view, helping the student is not only limited to providing books and stationery, but also supporting his family can reduce some of the worries of life and provide more suitable conditions for continuing education.

This school-building charity believes that the more communication between social activists, school administrators and benefactors is strengthened, the possibility of identifying needs more accurately and directing aid to those in need will also increase.