Vibeke Matorp: A gentle story of seed-planting

Some plant trees. Others plant peace for an entire nation

Written by: JoJo JEN (Former NS of Taiwan)

​Thirty years ago, Vibeke Matorp, the former Servas International General Secretary (1992-1995 and 1995-1998) and Member of the SI Development Fund Committee (2001-2004), from Denmark, chose to place her trust in a young man from Pakistan.  She gave him neither money nor power. What she gave him was a word of encouragement, a mantle of trust, and a seed named “Hope.”

At the time, she nominated this young man, Muhammad Naseem as the main contact person for Servas Pakistan, personally mentoring him in the true spirit of Servas and telling him: “A small seedling will one day grow into a mighty tree.”

​Thirty years later, that seedling has indeed grown tall and strong.  Today, Servas Pakistan is not merely operational—it stands as a vibrant and cherished member of the global Servas family. And when Ms. Vibeke passed away peacefully on July 23, 2026, the very first person to write the most heartfelt tribute was none other than that same young man she had uplifted all those years ago.

​Reading his memorial post, a guiding principle often shared by Servas founder Bob Luitweiler came to my mind: “Peace is not built through grand speeches. Peace is created, seed by seed, quietly sown into the hearts of people.”

True peacebuilding is rarely loud or heroic. It often takes the form of a sincere ear, a word of encouragement, a timely reply, a leap of faith, or the selfless choice to believe in a stranger. You never truly know where in the world the seed you plant today will one day bloom.

This reminds me of a beautiful quote by the poet Rabindranath Tagore:

​“You never know who steps out of the darkness guided by your light, or who begins to believe in this world again because of your kindness.”  Vibeke Matorp’s life was the most graceful testament to these words. She did not change the whole world, but she changed one person; and that person went on to transform Servas in an entire nation.

​This is the true face of peace.

​May each of us in the Servas family be willing to be that quiet sower of seeds.  For those who truly change the world are never the loudest, but those who choose to believe in others, lift others up, and leave a seed of hope in someone else’s life.  Thank you, Vibeke Matorp.  The seeds you planted have now grown into forests across many corners of the earth.

​May you rest in peace. May your spirit continue to thrive through every connection that transcends borders, cultures, and trust.