Students Build a Bridge to Hope: UBC Club Launches Simorgh Foundation for Iranian Education

UBC persian club launches Simorgh Bridge Foundation, a new non-profit organization dedicated to supporting education in underprivileged areas of Iran. The foundation, which grew out of the UBC Persian Club, is prioritizing radical transparency to build trust within the diaspora community.

The foundation’s name draws on the ancient Persian legend of the Simorgh, a symbol of knowledge and growth, and the idea of a “Bridge” connecting the Iranian diaspora to their homeland's urgent needs.

The Driving Force: Responsibility and Connection

The students are motivated by a sense of duty to those without the educational opportunities they enjoy in Canada.

Vida, the Vice President of the foundation and President of the UBC Persian Club, highlighted this motivation:

"We come together every day for our own studies... but this feeling we have for our compatriots here also reaches Iran. We want to help—even if it’s just a fraction of the knowledge we have—so that someone who has no book, no notebook, can get that chance."

Omid, the Chair of the foundation, saw a gap that needed to be filled:

"We are people whose hearts beat to help the people of Iran, but we must have faith that the money is spent in the right place, on the right project. I looked around and saw there wasn't a foundation that was highly transparent, and this sparked the idea in my mind."

Setareh, a foundation member, whose connection is fueled by her bicultural identity, emphasized the mutual benefit of their work:

"My wish is tied to the wishes of the children in Iran... For me to be able to use these opportunities, those opportunities must also exist for the children in Iran. We want the entire Iranian community to work together so that we all move forward."

Transparency as the Cornerstone

To address concerns about where charitable funds go, the Simorgh Bridge Foundation has made transparency its non-negotiable cornerstone. They are officially registered as a federal non-profit in Canada and are in the process of obtaining charity status.

Omid explained the detailed process designed to give donors peace of mind:

"We decided to put our focus on gaining this trust and transparency first... When you go to our website, you'll be able to see the projects—the name of the school, the location, what it needs, and how much it will cost—all the details. We want everything to be shown to the public in full detail."

The foundation works with the licensed Bavar Charity in Iran but maintains full control over the spending and reporting to satisfy Canadian reporting requirements.

Launching Projects: The Campaign Mehr

The foundation has structured its efforts around four areas: educational infrastructure, teachers, students, and essential needs.

Their first initiative, Campaign Mehr, is focused on supporting educational needs in provinces like Sistan and Baluchestan and Khuzestan.

Omid detailed one of the most pressing needs:

"Our main project is a school in Laloo Bazar... That school is essentially non-operational right now. The electricity needs to be fixed, windows need to be replaced, benches need changing—it practically needs to be rebuilt from scratch... It may be the only school in that entire county."

In addition to physical infrastructure, they plan to tackle social barriers, such as providing transportation funding for students in remote villages to prevent them from dropping out of school.

First Major Event: Jashn-e Mehrgan

The inaugural fundraising effort is a celebration of the ancient Persian Jashn-e Mehrgan (Festival of Autumn), a cultural celebration of love and kindness.

Setareh provided details on the event:

"Our first event will be a celebration of Mehrgan... We wanted to hold a program that would bring the Iranian community together to celebrate, and also to raise money for the children and students in Iran."

The event, featuring music, dance, poetry, and performances by UBC students and local youth, takes place at the Great Hall at UBC, with all ticket profits going directly to the Campaign Mehr projects.

The Simorgh Bridge Foundation is extending an open invitation to the community to join their effort, believing that collective action from the diaspora is the key to creating lasting, positive change in Iran.