By Mahdieh Ghazvinian and Amir Mollaee Mozaffari*
Life is often a twisted thing, a complicated event which never ceases to surprise its protagonist, the one who allegedly ‘leads’ the life. In that light, people are authors of their lives insofar as they interpret the sequence of its incidents, over which they only have marginal choice.
Sometimes, however, there is a commanding narrative to a life, a narrative which weaves together certain elements of one’s life, from childhood well into adulthood, as if a grand plan was set in motion by forces beyond one’s apprehension.
That’s how Masoumeh Khosravi sounded when she talked about her life in an exclusive interview with Iran Daily. Diagnosed infertile as a teenager, she went through a doomed marriage. But then, she managed to shape her life as she liked it. Chief security officer in a chain store, she has been involved in charity for many years. Both activities make her feel powerful in life, and charitable deeds, in particular, make her feel like a proxy mother to many boys and girls from underprivileged families.
“I have around 90 children already and I’m feeling very fine because of them,” she told us during an exchange, in which she described her life and what she saw as its purpose.
When did you start doing charity work?
I was in Shahriar city during the first year of my married life. I was getting really bored of staying in the house, so one day, I decided to go to a mosque for my afternoon prayers. I got to know the families in need from these visits to the mosque. It was as if a miracle was starting to happen in my life.
I was introduced to the female chapter of Basij voluntary forces. They liked how active I was and suggested that I should get into cultural works. I welcomed the idea and started working. Later, they offered me a position in the sazandegi (literally, ‘construction’) sector, so I got into sazandegi.
There, they put a list of family names in front of me that had been financially aided and supported by the mosque. I tried to put more hours into my work every day and be more creative. We were given the top award in 2008 twice at different levels of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps staff.
What did you do to expand your work?
Before I joined, the aid used to be given only by those who came to the mosque to pray. But I got us involved with the Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation, too, and even approached the prayer leader of the mosque and then the State Welfare Organization. My progress was giving me further motivation each day.
When I joined, they gave me the files on 15 underprivileged families. Over a short period, we reached a point where we were covering 60 cases and would get contacted by other mosques. Today, we are supporting approximately 400 families. I should also add that at first, we used to give the families some provisions once a month, but now we do it twice a month.
Were you seeing the families up close?
Yes. One day, I said to our commander that I want to get to know the families intimately. They accepted. So I went to see the families, and my visits helped me become more aware of their needs and be able to plan better and more creatively in order to solve those needs.
What kind of creativity did it inspire in you?
To give you an example, I divided the families into several categories: Without a breadwinner, comprised of abused or imprisoned members, under debt (for example for blood money), etc. Every day, I would implement new ideas. I even had to remove some families from the list.
Did these ideas pay off at all?
Yes, they did very much. Gradually, more families were getting covered, and I was starting to be known in nearby mosques and neighborhoods. You wouldn’t believe how many charities approached me and said, “We will support you and the cases you have.”
Slowly, the head of the Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation became acquainted with me, provided me with packages, and introduced me to other donors. Suddenly, I was presented with better offers, and the number of covered families grew. I took responsibility for other districts as well and even started supporting some families in Rey, Varamin, and Qarchak cities.
Have you created jobs for these families, too?
Yes. That’s actually my mission: To raise them out of poverty and make them self-reliant. With the support of our donors, the Relief Foundation, and the municipality of that district, we set up a carpet weaving workshop. We trained families for a while, then put them to work in the workshop. Little by little, our help-seekers would become entrepreneurs. We advanced step-by-step from there.
I even attended the meetings held by the Relief Foundation. There, with the help of donors who provided us with a location, I planned more meetings where deprived individuals could present their various talents and skills. It reached a point where these individuals were granted loans to start working, and consequently, many families got out of the list of covered families.
How did this work make you feel?
It felt very nice. I get peace of mind from making the families in need happy and doing the things they had asked of me.It’s especially moving when you can take care of an immediate need. For instance, on my way home from work yesterday, I helped a young woman from one such family who had approached me and asked, “Can you please buy a pack of diapers for my baby, please?”
When I occupy myself with helping them, I’m no longer reminded of all those troubles that I had undergone. I forget every bad memory.
It should make you feel powerful, right?
Yes, 100 percent. For a time, I was scared of the loneliness that comes after the divorce and I felt weak. But I’ve been involved with these families so much that I’ve driven the weakness away from me and become a powerful brave woman. My attachment is now to a whole community rather than one single person. To be honest, I try to be a role model.
Have you ever aided someone that came to your store, too?
Yes, one time I saw a lady from the monitors in the camera room who was smacking her toddler’s hand as she reached for anything on the shelves. I immediately left my room and approached them. With an accent of southeastern people of Iran, the mother was saying, “Whenever I pass this store, I prefer not to enter because it only brings me wistfulness.” I told her to let the girl take anything she likes from the shelves and put them on my tab. Now, that family is one of our help-seekers that are under our support, thanks to God!
Have you ever caught a shoplifter, too? If so, what did you do to that shoplifter?
Yes, I did and I reported it. A few days ago, a lady of another nationality was walking past the gates when the alarm went off. I got myself to the main door and found a boy with his mother. The boy raised his hands for me, and I saw that he was holding a cup of jelly. Whenever there is a child involved, I get too emotional to think of disciplinary measures in place. I brought both of them to my room and told them to buy anything they want, and I’ll pay for it.
How much is your salary?
My salary is around $200.
How do you decide to support one family?
We cover a certain geographical area. For families in that area, the only qualification is their honest need for support. We don’t discriminate based on ethnic, religious, nationality, or other such factors. That said, our funds are limited and, therefore, sometimes we need to make tough decisions, which are mostly based on the urgent needs of families and their potential to become self-reliant, thus become helpers themselves.
Have you experienced any spiritually meaningful event in your charitable works?
Yes. One day, I was contacted by the Astan Quds Razavi, the establishment which takes care of Imam Reza (PBUH) Holy Shrine in Mashhad. Through an intermediary, I was able to become an honorary servant of the Holy Shrine. My necessary visit to Mashhad city provided me with a chance to take some families that had not visited Imam Reza’s Holy Shrine with me.
Do you connect donors to the families directly?
Not at all. Over time, I’ve learned that all the communication and help in such charitable works should go through an intermediary because problems have arisen due to direct contact between the two sides.According to Iranian law, single women over 30 can now adopt children. Do you have any desire to adopt a child?
No, I have around 90 children already and I’m feeling very fine because of them.
What is your biggest wish right now?
I wish God could put a donor on my path so I can fulfill my children’s every wish because I get ashamed when I can’t do it on my own. And I would like my tombstone to read, “Sleep, O’ calm and tired mother.”
*Mahdieh Ghazvinian and Amir Mollaee Mozaffari are staff writers at Iran Daily.
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