Aasif Mujtaba, Muslim activist and director of the Miles2Smile Foundation, bagged a $20,000 award at the Global Donors Forum in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Mujtaba, whose foundation supports survivors of mob lynching and other hate crimes by Hindu nationalists against Muslims, was one of four finalists, including a group of physicians providing life-saving medical services in Gaza, nominated for the prestigious “Innovations in Sustainable Practice” award.
In an emotional post on X, Mujtaba revealed, “For the first time in my life, I found myself making a very unusual dua, not to win the highest prize, but to receive the second-place award. Why? Because at the Global Donors Forum in Istanbul, Türkiye, four incredible organizations from around the world were competing for the ‘Innovations in Sustainable Practice’ award. And I deeply wished for them to receive the maximum prize money.”
His team was awarded $20,000, while the Gaza doctors received the $50,000 top prize.
Reflecting on the moment, Mujtaba wrote, “And, as if by some miracle, my dua was answered. It was an incredible honor to be awarded $20,000 in this category. But the real joy came when the Gaza doctors received the $50,000 award. That moment was everything.”
Celebrating Mujtaba’s recognition, journalist Asif Ahmed took to X, stating, “Bulldozers broke homes, but Aasif Mujtaba and Miles2Smile built hope. I covered their work last year—raw, real, and heartbreaking. Today, he won a humanitarian award in Turkey. From the rubble of injustice, he’s raising a revolution of compassion.”
Aasif Mujtaba is the Founder and CEO of the Miles2Smile Foundation, a non-profit organization that has been working extensively for the relief and rehabilitation of the survivors of communal violence, mob lynching, and communal demolitions.
An alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University and IIT-Delhi, Mujtaba has been at the forefront of humanitarian work, particularly supporting victims of the 2020 Delhi Pogrom and Rohingya refugees in India.
He also serves as the Director of Sunrise Public School, a relief-focused educational initiative, and holds the position of Vice President at IMAN (Indian Muslim Association of NGOs).
The Global Donors Forum, first held in 2008, aims to mobilise financial and intellectual resources for a just and peaceful world beyond ethnic and religious boundaries.
The forum’s three-day event brings together world-renowned philanthropists, industry leaders, and policymakers focused on tackling both global and regional challenges.
