One of the businesses which has supported Mona Foundation for many years, is Baha'i Ringstone.com (owned by Wedding Bands Co.)
The founders of Baha'i Ringstone have Many innovative ways to support the children in our projects over the years. In a recent interview with Koorosh Daneshgar, he was kind enough to answer some questions for us. We thought some of our readers would be interested in his answers too.
Koorosh Daneshgar and Oscar Valencia share everything important for professional partners: Both had been fine-jewelry makers since they were apprentices in their mid-teens. Both absolutely insisted that perfection comes first in any jewelry-making enterprise. Both had a passion to create spectacular noble-metals settings for glorious gemstones. Their talents are complementary, too: Koorosh is a master designer; Oscar is a master gemologist/jeweler.
Since 2006, the company has sent monthly scholarships for ten children attending Anis Zunuzi School in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. These children would not be in school without this support. Recently, an arrangement was made to sell some of his exceptional jewelry items on eBay and 100% of all sales from the eBay site will be allocated to Mona projects. 10% of all web sales from the business site will go to the General Fund for Mona Foundation.
The Daneshgar Valencia Fund doubles in 2008
The story of Koorosh Daneshgar and his partnership with the Mona Foundation is a story of hope and love. Mr. Daneshgar has never been to Haiti. He's never met these children he so ardently supports. But the love and care he has arranged is making a tremendous difference for so many children as a result of his sacrifices each month.
Initially, Mr. Daneshgar made a contribution at a conference information table and promised to send more monthly to support 10 children, which he did faithfully for a year. Following that, he doubled the amount so twenty children could attend school. This year, maintaining the support of 'his' beloved 20 children each month, he and his business partner Oscar Valencia have determined to support an additional Haitian project with further support for a newly established group home in the outskirts of Port-au-Prince.
This home supports sixteen orphan boys who were previously living in the streets, begging for food. Now they receive the structure of an organized home environment with live-in adult mentors, clothing and three proper meals a day. They attend Anis Zunuzi School in the daytime and receive love and care after school, all as a result of the recently established "Daneshgar and Valencia Fund." It is individuals such as this who truly make a difference in the lives of children. We are very grateful to Mr. Daneshgar and Mr. Valencia for taking this one more step to walk with the children of Haiti.
May Mona supporters learn a little of your backgrounds?
My partner, Oscar Valencia and I are new Americans. I am from Iran; Oscar from Mexico. We were both jewelers in our homelands and after emigrating here, we found ourselves working successfully together. Oscar is a master jeweler and a genius with gemstones and my specialty is jewelry design. Our business has grown from a small operation to one with 20 employees.
Oscar is married to Jasmine and they have three wonderful boys. I am profoundly proud of my 15 yr. old daughter, Shabnam. Both Oscar and I are proud to be new Americans, living in a land where we can freely practice our individual faiths, create beautiful jewelry and exercise the freedoms God gave to all of us. Oscar and I share a sense of responsibility to express our gratitude by sharing with others who may need help. It is an important commitment for both of us.
When was the first time you heard of Mona Foundation?
It is important to me that Shabnam has a real sense of her Persian heritage. When she was eight, we attended the Persian Conference in Chicago and learned that $200 would buy a horse to transport a teacher to her students through the Panamanian jungle to a Mona Foundation supported school. I suppose that many daddies of eight-year-old daughters have been begged for a horse. But this request was really special. Shabnam and I decided that we'd be happy and honored to provide a horse so that a teacher could get to her students. That was the beginning of our wonderful relationship with the Mona Foundation.
Why do you continue to commit so generously to these projects?
It is important to both Oscar and me to give back to people less fortunate than we are. We have worked hard and done our very best. We believe that the best way to insure a better future for children is to assure that they have quality education. The Mona Foundation has given us a wonderful way to help children become well-educated. We consider such participation to be both a moral imperative and an authentic privilege.
Can you tell us about the Daneshgar and Valencia Fund?
Our latest contribution is through Daneshgar and Valencia Fund. . . . It is a matter of stewardship of resources. We skip a luxury or pare down expenses so we can offer a little more to these projects. This hasn't hurt us at all but it makes us feel better about ourselves, the fruits of our labor and the people we can help.
