SHINING LIGHT INTERNATIONAL
1398 WINDMILL AVE, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80907 shininglight.co

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Organizations Filed Purposes: EQUIP INDIVIDUALS AND RESOURCE SUSTAINABLE PROGRAMS IN NORTHERN PAKISTAN TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES THAT BREAK THE CYCLE OF INJUSTICE AND POVERTY.

EDUCATION (EMPOWERING CHILDREN) - OVER 700 CHILDREN FROM PRESCHOOL TO CLASS 10 (HIGH SCHOOL) RECEIVED TOP-QUALITY, ENGLISH-MEDIUM EDUCATION THROUGH SHINING LIGHT ACADEMY (SLA) LOCATED IN GILGIT, PAKISTAN. APPROXIMATELY 20% OF OUR STUDENTS WERE FROM THE CHRISTIAN MINORITY COMMUNITY AND ATTENDED SLA ON A SCHOLARSHIP BASIS. OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ENABLED 31 MINORITY CHRISTIAN CHILDREN TO ATTEND LOCAL SCHOOLS,INCLUDING SLA, FROM PRESCHOOL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL THAT OTHERWISE WOULD NOT RECEIVE AN EDUCATION. TEN ADDITIONAL STUDENTS RECEIVED FULL SCHOLARSHIPS TO ATTEND COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR FAMILY'S HISTORY. THIS HAS RESULTED IN OVER A DOZEN CHRISTIAN FAMILIES THAT ARE NO LONGER LIVING IN POVERTY, HAVE BUILT THEIR OWN HOMES AND HAVE ENDED THE CURSE OF POVERTY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. ADDITIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE: a)TEACHERS - OUR SLA TEACHING STAFF HAS INCREASED FROM 44 TO 67 TO ACCOMODATE SCHOOL EXPANSION AND GENDER SEPARATION AS REQUESTED BY THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. SEVERAL MASTER TEACHERS WERE HIRED TO PROVIDE QUALITY EDUCATION IN MATH, URDU AND SCIENCES AND TO PROVIDE MENTORING FOR LESS EXPERIENCED TEACHERS. IN ADDITION, THEY WILL SERVE AS SUBJECT SECTION HEADS TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE FOR THE ORGANIZATION AND WILL ASSIST THE PRINCIPAL IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT. b)SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM - IN 2019, SLI PROVIDED SCHOLARSHIPS FOR PRE-SCHOOL, ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE, AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WITH PLANNED EXPANSION IN 2020. OVER $48,000 WAS ALLOCATED FOR THE FOLLOWING SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS: i. PRIMARY EDUCATION - FORTY-FIVE PRE-SCHOOL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL MINORITY CHRISTIAN STUDENTS RECEIVED $24,426 FOR TUITION, BOOKS, UNIFORMS AND OTHER EXPENSES. MOST OF THE RECIPIENTS ATTEND SHINING LIGHT ACADEMY. ii. SECONDARY EDUCATION - TEN CHRISTIAN STUDENTS RECEIVED $24,402 FOR COLLEGE TUITION, FEES, BOOKS AND PERSONAL EXPENSES. THESE ARE THE FIRST CHRISTIAN STUDENTS TO ATTEND COLLEGE IN GILGIT, PAKISTAN AND IN THE HISTORY OF THEIR FAMILIES. MANY ARE VOLUNTEERING AT SLA AND FOUR ARE EMPLOYED AS TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS. THIS HAS BECOME ONE OF THE BIGGEST BENEFITS OF OUR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM - YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN THAT HAVE A PASSION FOR PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND A DESIRE TO SERVE LOCAL COMMUNITIES. c)NEW CLASSROOMS - SLI PROVIDED $20,000 FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SIX NEW CLASSROOMS AT SHINING LIGHT ACADEMY TO BE COMPLETED BY THE SPRING OF 2020. THIS COMPLETES OUR CLASSROOM EXPANSION PROGRAM, NEEDED DUE TO INCREASED ENROLLMENT AND GENDER SEPARATION FROM 6TH GRADE ONWARD. NO NEW FACILITIES WILL BE CONSTRUCTED AS WE SEEK OTHER ALTERNATIVES TO CONTINUE THE EXPANSION PROGRAM. d)LAND ACQUISITION - SLA IS ON LEASED PROPERTY THAT WILL EXPIRE IN 2022 WITH LITTLE CHANCE OF RENEWING THE LEASE AGREEMENT. IN ADDITION, THE CURRENT LOCATION IS NOT ADEQUATE FOR THE INCREASED ENROLLMENT OF 700 STUDENTS. LAND ACQUISITION, NEW CONSTRUCTION AND RELOCATION REMAINS THE TOP PRIORITY FOR 2019 AND BEYOND. THIS WILL ENABLE SLA TO FURTHER IMPROVE ITS QUALITY EDUCATIONAL SERVICES AND ENSURE SUSTAINABILITY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. A SEARCH FOR LAND OR SUITABLE LEASED FACILITIES HAS BEEN ONGOING. EXPENSES FOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS INCLUDES DONATED SERVICES TOTALING $6,555. THIS INCLUDES PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR DATABASE AND SURVEY DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS DONATED SERVICES OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

2) TRAINING (EMPOWERING LEADERS) - IN 2019, SLI RAMPED UP ITS CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAM TO PROVIDE SKILLS TRAINING SPECIFICALLY FOR SLCDO STAFF AND LEADERS OF THE FULL GOSPEL ASSEMBLIES (FGA) GILGIT CHURCH. THE INTENT IS TO BUILD THEIR CAPACITY AS LEADERS, TEACHERS, BUSINESS OWNERS, STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS WHO WILL IN TURN PROVIDE EFFECTIVE SKILLS TRAINING TO THE PEOPLE OF NORTHERN PAKISTAN. DEVELOPING LEADERS THAT SERVE THE COMMUNITY WITH INTEGRITY AND COMPASSION COMBINED WITH EFFECTIVE CAPACITY BUILDING SKILLS IS THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF ALL SLI DEVELOPED TRAINING PROGRAMS. OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, SLCDO WILL BE IN A POSITION TO PROVIDE A NUMBER OF NEW TRAINING COURSES ALONG WITH THE CURRENT WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES JOB/LIFE SKILLS TRAINING, URDU LITERACY, BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING & GENDER EQUALITY AWARENESS FOR MOSTLY LOW INCOME WOMEN FROM LOCAL & VILLAGE COMMUNITIES. THESE CAPACITY BUILDING & EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS WILL HAVE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON THE PEOPLE OF GILGIT-BALTISTAN, PAKISTAN AND BEYOND. a) WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM - BY THE END OF 2019, 750 WOMEN HAD RECEIVED SEWING, CUTTING, KNITTING, EMBROIDERY AND WOOL WEAVING SKILLS THROUGH OUR WOMEN'S VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER (WVTC) IN GILGIT, PAKISTAN INCLUDING 12 WOMEN WHO ARE NOW MASTER TRAINERS TO PROVIDE CUTTING & SEWING SKILLS TRAINING TO REMOTE COMMUNITIES. IN 2019, SLI FUNDED TWO NEW, FULLY EQUIPPED, WOMEN'S VOCATIONAL TRAINING (SEWING) CENTERS WITHIN THE REMOTE GUJJAR COMMUNITY, PROVIDED FUNDING FOR THE MAIN CENTER IN GILGIT AND ESTABLISHED ANOTHER SEWING CENTER IN A NEARBY VILLAGE (DANYORE) TO EXPAND OUR REACH AND INFLUENCE WITHIN THIS REMOTE REGION OF NORTHERN PAKISTAN. THE WVTC IS A KEY COMPONENT OF OUR WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES JOB/LIFE SKILLS TRAINING, URDU LITERACY, BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING AND GENDER EQUALITY AWARENESS FOR MOSTLY LOW INCOME WOMEN FROM LOCAL AND VILLAGE COMMUNITIES. SLI RAISED OVER $20,000 TO SUPPORT TRAINING AT THE FOUR SEWING CENTERS MENTIONED ABOVE WITH PLANS FOR FURTHER EXPANSION IN 2020. b)LIFE STITCH RETAIL SALES OUTLET - SLI RECEIVED A GRANT IN 2017 TO FUND THE CONSTRUCTION, FURNISHINGS & SECURITY DEPOSIT FOR A RETAIL SALES OUTLET IN GILGIT, PAKISTAN TO SELL LIFE STITCH PRODUCTS AND OTHER ACCESSORIES TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. THE OUTLET WAS ESTABLISHED IN DECEMBER, 2018 WITH PLANS TO BEGIN OPERATIONS IN MARCH, 2019. SLI RAISED AN ADDITIONAL $15,000 IN 2019 TO FUND ONE YEAR OF OPERATIONAL COSTS INCLUDING SALARIES FOR TWO EMPLOYEES, UTILITIES, RENT AND EQUIPMENT. THE OUTLET WILL PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT FOR AN ADDITIONAL TEN WOMEN THROUGH THE LOCAL SALES OF WOMEN'S CLOTHING, ACCESSORIES AND HANDICRAFTS, PLUS RAISE SUSTAINABLE INCOME FOR THE WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM.FUTURE PLANS INCLUDE BUYING COMMERCIAL SEWING EQUIPMENT IN 2020 TO EXPAND THE MANUFACTURING CAPACITY. c)LIFE STITCH INTERNATIONAL SALES - SLI DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED HOME ACCESSORY PRODUCTS TO BE MANUFACTURED BY LIFE STITCH MANUFACTRUING. SEVERAL SAMPLES WERE AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW, AND MODIFICATIONS WERE MADE DURING THE SLI BOARD-MEMBER PAKISTAN TRIP IN OCT/NOV 2018. IN 2019, DESIGN MODIFICATIONS WERE IMPLEMENTED, LOCAL MATERIALS SOURCED AND SEVERAL SAMPLES WERE MANUFACTURED FOR POTENTIAL SALE IN THE USA. BY THE END OF 2019, A FULL-TIME PRODUCT COORDINATOR IN GILGIT WAS HIRED AND IS BEING TRAINED. FULL RAMP-UP OF INTERNATIONAL SALES HAS BEEN DELAYED PENDING SUCCESSFUL INCREASE IN SALES OF LOCAL PRODUCTS THROUGH THE LIFE STITCH RETAIL SALES OUTLET AND DISTRIBUTION THROUGH LOCAL SHOPS. d)ELEMENTAL BUSINESS ENTREPRENEUR PILOT TRAINING COURSE - TO DATE, SLI HAS PROVIDED FUNDING OF OVER $40,000 TO DEVELOP AND DEPLOY AN SLI ELEMENTAL BUSINESS ENTREPRENEUR TRAINING COURSE THAT IS CONTEXTUALIZED FOR AN ISLAMIC SOCIETY AND CAN BE DEPLOYED THROUGHOUT CENTRAL ASIA. TWELVE LOCAL TRAINERS RECEIVED TRAINING BY SLI IN OCT/NOV 2018 AND IN OCOTBER, 2019 IN GILGIT, PAKISTAN. SURVEY EVALUATIONS RECEVED FROM THE TRAINEES PROVIDED INVALUABLE FEEDBACK FOR FUTHER REVISIONS. THREE VERSIONS OF THE TRAINING COURSE ARE NOW BEING DEVELOPED FOR THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY, THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, AND AT THE COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY LEVEL. REVISIONS WILL BE INCORPORATED AND URDU TRANSLATIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN 2020 FOR THE CHRISTIAN AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES VERSIONS WITH FINAL COURSE DEPLOYMENT BY TRAINED SLI STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS IN OCTOBER 2020. THE COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY LEVEL COURSE WILL BE COMPLETED AND DEPLOYED IN 2021. e)PRINT ON DEMAND SYSTEM - THE PRINT ON DEMAND SYSTEM (POD) IS ESSENTIALLY A PORTABLE PRINTING PRESS THAT CAN PRODUCE A HIGH VOLUME OF QUALITY, LOW-COST PRINTED MATERIALS INCLUDING LAMINATED HARD COVER BOOKS. SLI HIRED A CONSULTANT TO PURCHASE, INSTALL AND PROVIDE TRAINING TO TWO STUDENTS FROM THE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN 2018. FURTHER TRAINING AND SYSTEM ENHANCEMENTS WERE PLANNED FOR 2019, BUT HAVE BEEN DEFERRED UNTIL 2020 DUE TO VISA ISSUES. THE POD SYSTEM WILL ENABLE SLCDO TO PRINT BOOKS, MATERIALS, AND CURRICULUM FOR ALL OF ITS PROGRAMS AND PROVIDE AN INVALUABLE SERVICE TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY TO RAISE ADDITIONAL INCOME. f) WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT VIDEO - SLI HIRED A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER TO PRODUCE A MUCH NEEDED VIDEO TO PROMOTE, RAISE AWARENESS AND SOLICIT FUNDING FOR THE EXPANSION OF OUR WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM. NEARLY $10,000 WAS RAISED TO FULLY FUND THIS PROJECT TO ACQUIRE PHOTOS AND FOOTAGE IN GILGIT AND SURROUNDING AREAS TO SHARE HOW STUDENTS' LIVES HAVE BEEN IMPACTED AND EMPOWERED THROUGH THE WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT PORGRAM. FINAL EDITING AND VIDEO PRODUCTION IS SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION BY SPRING 2020. EXPENSES FOR TRAINING PROGRAMS INCLUDE DONATED SERVICES TOTALING $6,031. THIS INCLUDES PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR DATABASE AND SURVEY DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS DONATED SERVICES OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

3) DEVELOPMENT (EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES) - THE RURAL VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (RVDP) WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE QUALITY EDUCATION TO REMOTE, ISOLATED COMMUNITIES IN NORTHERN PAKISTAN. ONE OF THE MOST OPPRESSED AND MARGINALIZED GROUPS ARE THE SEMI-NOMADIC GUJJARS. THEY ARE A POOR, ILLITERATE AND OPPRESSED PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE HIGH MOUNTAIN VALLEYS IN GILGIT-BALTISTAN. BECAUSE OF RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM, THE GUJJARS IN GILGIT-BALTISTAN HAD NOT BEEN EDUCATING GIRLS UNTIL RECENTLY. SINCE 2007, SHINGING LIGHT HAS BEEN PROVIDING SCHOOL EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES, HIRING LOCAL TEACHERS AND PAYING FOR STUDENT SCHOOL FEES, BOOKS, AND UNIFORMS. IN 2019, SHINING LIGHT RAISED $21,000 TO EQUIP 4 REMOTE VILLAGE SCHOOLS, HIRE 23 LOCAL TEACHERS/STAFF AND ENABLE ENROLLMENT OF OVER 450 CHILDREN. OVER 100 GUJJAR GIRLS ARE NOW RECEIVING AN EDUCATION, AND THROUGH OUR ADULT LITERACY EFFORTS, ADULTS ARE LEARNING TO READ AND WRITE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THESE MOUNTAINOUS, REMOTE COMMUNITIES. a)GUJJAR ADULT LITERACY PROGRAM - SLI RAISED OVER $31,000 TO LAUNCH 6 ADULT LITERACY CENTERS IN 6 VILLAGES AND OFFERED 6-MONTH LITERACY PROGRAMS STARTING IN MAY, 2019. NUMEROUS IMPROVEMENTS WERE MADE TO THE LITERACY COURSE DESIGN TO HELP IMPROVE ATTENDANCE AND GRADUATION RATES. OF THE 150 INITIAL APPLICANTS, 99 GRADUATED WITH AN URDU LITERACY CERTIFICATE. THIS REPRESENTS A 66% GRADUATION RATE IN 2019 COMPARED WITH A 22% GRADUATION RATE IN 2018. OF THE 99 GRADUATES, 85 WERE WOMEN FROM 5 OF THE CENTERS. MODIFICATION AND CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT TO TRAINING AND COURSE CURRICULUM HAVE BEEN CRITICAL FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM. SIX NEW ADULT LITERACY TEACHERS WERE TRAINED AND A NEW STAFF MEMBER HIRED IN 2019 WITH PLANS OF LAUNCHING 6 NEW CENTERS IN 2020. b)GUJJAR MOTHER TONGUE LITERACY PROJECT - IN 2016, SLI SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED A GUJJAR MOTHER TONGUGE LITERACY PILOT PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM AIMS TO DEVELOP READING PRIMERS, TEACHER MANUALS, STORY BOOKS AND OTHER MATERIALS FOR PRE-KINDERGARTEN AND KINDERGARTEN GUJJAR CHILDREN AND ILLITERATE ADULTS THAT WILL PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS: 1) TEACH CHILDREN AND ADULTS HOW TO READ AND WRITE THEIR OWN LANGUAGE (GOJRI IS AN UNWRITTEN LANGUAGE), 2) AID IN QUICK ACQUISITION OF URDU (THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE OF PAKISTAN) AND 3) PROVIDE INTRODUCTION TO CONCEPTUAL LEARNING (ROTE MEMORIZATION IS THE STANDARD EDUCATION METHODOLOGY). AFTER A SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH AND ENDORSEMENT BY THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, A GUJJAR TRANSLATION TEAM WAS FORMED WITH LOCAL TEACHERS THAT HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO READ, WRITE AND DEVELOP MATERIALS SPECIFIC TO THE GUJJAR REGIONAL DIALECT. THESE TEACHERS COMPLETED A TEACHER'S MANUAL THAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR INSTRUCTION AND WAS PRINTED AND DISTRIBUTED FOR USE IN THE GUJJAR COMMUNITIES. SKILLS DEVELOPMENT TRAINING WAS CONDUCTED IN THE FALL OF 2018 AND 2019, AND DEVELOPMENT OF TWO ADDITIONAL BOOKS HAS BEGUN. THE BOOKS ARE EXPECTED TO GO TO PRINT BY 2020. c)GUMSING COMMUNITY MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOM PROJECT - SLI'S PLANS TO RAISE $30,000 IN 2019 TO BUY LAND, CONSTRUCT, FURNISH AND EQUIP TWO MORE CLASSROOMS (CLASSES 9 AND 10) HAS BEEN DEFERRED INDEFINITELY. SLI IS SEEKING PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND OWNERSHIP BY THE LOCAL COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO PROCEED WITH THIS PROJECT. d)HOME PARTIES AND SALES EVENTS - FOUR HOME PARTIES WERE ORGANIZED IN THE USA IN 2019 TO SELL INFINITY SCARVES AND WOOL TOTES PRODUCED BY OUR LIFE STITCH MANUFACTURING CENTER. THESE PARTIES ALONG WITH A FEW OTHER SALES EVENTS GENERATED OVER $1,000 IN GROSS SALES THAT WENT DIRECTLY TO FUNDING SLI PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS. EXPENSES FOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS INCLUDES DONATED SERVICES TOTALING $13,634. THIS INCLUDES PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR DATABASE AND SURVEY DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS DONATED SERVICES OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

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