With the help of Irvine-based nonprofit Maribo Cares, University High School sophomore Shanzeh Mansoor and Portola High School student Henah Durrani are using their skills as student tutors to donate funds to local cancer fighters.

By creating an online tutoring program, Mansoor and Durrani are focused on donating all the proceeds from a new $10-hour (55 minutes) online tutoring program currently being offered through the Maribo Cares nonprofit.

Mansoor and Durrani will be offering tutoring to elementary and middle school kids in a variety of subjects, including math, reading and history.

In an interview with Irvine Weekly on Monday, March 22, Mansoor, who lived in Pakistan before moving to Irvine two years ago, explained that she lost her father to cancer in 2015, and her grandmother two years later.

Since then, Mansoor said she has been driven to give back to the community – especially those battling cancer.

“I want to help in any way possible,” Mansoor said. “I came across Maribo Cares, and I volunteered for it – and now I’m here. I’m also a member of the nonprofit Cancer Kids First Irvine.”

Mansoor explained that after volunteering for Maribo Cares, the pandemic created challenges for the nonprofit, especially in terms of donation awareness.

“Both of us are experienced tutors – I’m a peer tutor, and she’s a peer tutor too – we were trying to come up with a fundraiser, but it’s really hard, especially during COVID-19,” she explained. “I wanted to tutor in general, so I was like, ‘well, how about I tutor, and then all the money I make, I can give it to [Maribo Cares], and we can donate it.”

Founded in 2014 by Marísa Bock, Maribo Cares provides a variety of free services for those battling cancer. From appointment check-ins, to weekly flower delivery, Maribo Cares is a volunteer-driven effort to provide assistance in small but significant ways.

Bock, who is a cancer survivor and the nonprofit’s CEO, explained that she started Maribo Cares after experiencing cancer first-hand and realizing that some people are not given the adequate support they require.

“Who thinks to give a cancer fighter a house cleaning, or their carpets cleaned or their dryer vents cleaned – or write them letters of encouragement?” she asked. “There’s services that people don’t think about that makes the day brighter and gives them some pride and some encouragement as they go through their cancer journey.”

Bock said while she supports the idea of tutoring, it was largely the commitment of the two girls, as they were already peer tutors at their high schools.

“I let the girls know, you charge what you want to charge – it’s entirely what you’re comfortable with,” Bock said. “This is an ongoing thing, this is not for a timeframe of 30-days or two weeks. They want to be on going because a lot of kids will be doing summer school.”

With nearly a decade of nonprofit experience, Bock said Mansoor and Durrani are driven in indescribable ways, adding that she has never encountered any high school students who demonstrate the passion for volunteerism as vigorously as this pair of teen tutors.

“I am so touched, and so honored to have them in our corner. They are pillars, they set the bar very, very high for their peers. I think by them doing this, it lets other teens know to reach outside of yourself,” she said. “For them to do it at such a young age, it’s just mind-blowing.”

For now, Mansoor says her mission is to get the word out for the Maribo Cares tutoring program, so she helps as many people as she can. From her perspective, the loss of her father and grandmother have inspired her.

“I looked for being a part of this, because I went through it, but if I never went through it, being honest, I wouldn’t be a part of this. It’s because it impacted me that I’m a part of this,” she said. “I want to change that for people. I want to encourage those who haven’t gone through anything like this to also be a part of it.”

More information about Maribo Cares nonprofit or to donate can be found here.

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