My name is Noor, and I'm a Senior Financial Analyst at Children Believe. While my days are filled with processing donor contributions and analyzing finances, my heart is deeply connected to something much bigger than spreadsheets and numbers.
Growing up in Abu Dhabi, I was surrounded by a long line of educated women who believed in the power of learning. My grandmother studied philosophy, another studied accounting—the very field I'd later pursue—and my mother was in computer science. These strong, opinionated women shaped my foundation, teaching me that there are no limitations to what girls can achieve. Math has always clicked for me naturally. As I used to joke, quoting Mean Girls, "math is the same in every country"—it's transferable knowledge that transcends borders.
This multicultural perspective became invaluable when I started working with our international offices across Paraguay, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, India, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Ghana. Sometimes I find myself learning French phrases or brushing up on Spanish to better communicate with our field staff, who express such genuine happiness about working for an organization that gives back to their local communities.
What makes me incredibly proud to work for Children Believe is our unwavering commitment to transparency. I've seen other charities claim higher percentages of program expenditures than their finances actually show, but we paint a true picture of how we receive and distribute funds. This honesty aligns perfectly with the values I learned growing up—observing Ramadan, giving to those in need through Zakat, Sadaqa (giving to charity), and maintaining our moral compass.
The impact of our work became real to me during a graduation ceremony in India for a program called Speech. As I listened to the accomplishments being described, I realized these were the very program names I processed daily in my financial systems. Knowing that my behind-the-scenes work contributed to educating not just 7,000 sponsored children, but entire communities, filled me with profound fulfillment. When Children Believe sponsors a child, we're sponsoring their whole community—that's what makes this work so meaningful.
One moment that particularly struck me was reviewing audit documentation for a gender equality training workshop. Over 300-400 parents had attended, and the surveys showed how dramatically their perspectives shifted from before to after the workshop. Parents who might have previously kept girls at home began understanding the long-term benefits of educating daughters alongside sons. Growing up where girls' education was highly valued, it's disheartening to know that in our present day, some girls still face barriers their male counterparts don't. But seeing these tangible changes gives me hope.
As a mother of two daughters—ages nine and two—I draw constant parallels between my life and the mothers in communities we serve. When I need medical care, I can drive an hour to reach a hospital. Some mothers in our communities don't have that option. Tracking the progress of maternity wards and hospitals being built through our programs makes me feel deeply fulfilled, knowing we're creating opportunities I sometimes take for granted.
I'm teaching my older daughter financial literacy by showing her our privileges and how we can give back. We're considering sponsoring a child together, so she can have that friendship through periodic interactions—birthday wishes, photos, updates about school progress. The beautiful thing about Children Believe is that we could choose a child's age, gender, or country, or let the system naturally match us.
Two images stay with me from my daily work: a small boy with curly hair and a facial expression that made me laugh in our system records, warming my heart knowing we contribute to such innocence; and a girl on one of our marketing banners who reminded me so much of my daughter. Every time someone passes that banner, I tell them about her, hoping that if my daughter were ever in need, someone somewhere would look at her picture and say, "I am contributing to her success."
This work isn't just about present impact—we're planting seeds for future generations, educating children today so they'll hold positions that provide for their families tomorrow, breaking cycles of poverty and creating lasting change.