That day changed everything…

I was twelve years old when I received a diary as a prize after winning a speech competition.

At first, I had no idea what to do with it. Someone suggested that diaries were meant for poetry.

I liked the idea.
So I dedicated my diary to poetry.

By pure coincidence, the very first poet I discovered was Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal. I didn’t know any other poets, so I began copying his verses onto those empty pages. Before I realized it, I was memorizing them too.

One poem became another.
One diary became two.
Curiosity became a lifelong passion.

I searched for Iqbal’s poetry everywhere I could find it. Although I was too young to fully understand his philosophy, his words reached my heart long before they reached my mind.

Years later, with my father’s guidance, everything began to make sense.
I realized that leadership isn’t about position – it’s about responsibility.

Success isn’t measured by what we collect – it’s measured by what we contribute.

Those ideas stopped being poetry.
They became my way of life.

They inspired me to pursue healthcare, dedicate myself to humanitarian service, and eventually establish SARIOON Pakistan – Pakistan’s first donation-free humanitarian organization.

Today, that same purpose has grown into a movement of 17,000+ volunteers, 100+ community initiatives, and an impact reaching more than 6.3 million lives. Along the way, I have been privileged to earn the trust of 50+ national and international universities, healthcare institutions, and organizations.

Looking back now…
I don’t think that diary was the real prize.

The real gift was discovering a purpose that would shape the rest of my life.

With gratitude,
Dr. Mustaeen Ur Rehman