SUNRISE, FL – People respond with a bit of je ne sais quoi when they learn that SONSHINE GLOBAL PARTNERS is headquartered in Sunrise, Florida. If that doesn’t happen immediately, it almost certainly will when they discover that SONRISE is located on Sunset Strip in Sunrise.

This story is not about how or why SONSHINE is so closely related to Sunrise and Sunset. (Perhaps Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof knows.)

What SONSHINE (SGP) is and does is far more important. Let’s look at those in reverse order.

What SONSHINE Does

Under the leadership of Dr. Sharon Brown, SONSHINE was established to provide means of agricultural development and medical aid in Sudan and Uganda. SPG specifically targeted communities and villages that had been ravaged by the AIDS epidemic.

Survivors were typically elderly or adolescent. It was readily apparent that the young adults would need assistance and expertise adequate to create sustainable local economies. SPG added entrepreneurial education and professional medical support to that foundation.

SONSHINE broadened its scope of influence and impact to serve displaced persons from the Sudan civil war who had sought refuge in Uganda. Its increased efforts are helping refugees to find relief by learning how to prosper in the worst of conditions through faith in Christ (contentment) and agricultural innovation (fulfillment).

SPG provides ongoing onsite training through the Malku Institute of Technology, which was established to equip young people with practical entrepreneurial and employable skills.

What SONSHINE Is

Simply put, SONSHINE is a faith-based NGO. But not all NGOs or FBOs are created equal in resources. Nor are they equal in any other aspect.

I have found that most folks are more concerned about the values to which such organizations ascribe and the consistency with which they abide by those values. It is SONSHINE’s vision and core values that attracted my attention.

SONSHINE’S vision is

“To . . . become one of the best human service organizations in the United States of America . . . the top choice for our clients, the employer of choice for our co-workers, the investment of choice for our corporate, government and philanthropic partners and a model of integrity and excellence for a community-based organization.”

That vision is established and reinforced on the organization’s six solid pillars of core values described and defined on the SONSHINE website.

• Innovation – Using imagination and creativity to develop fundraising efforts to further the mission of SGP.
• Compassion – Partnering with those who have a heart for developing local and foreign communities.
• Integrity – Having respect for those who serve and possess high ethical standards.
• Community – Become a beacon of hope by working closely with families, volunteers, local communities, funders, and other foreign developments.
• Volunteerism – Engaging volunteers in vital and meaningful roles to increase development efforts.
• Stewardship – Maximizing the efficient use of the funds and time entrusted to SGP.

What SONSHINE Is About

It’s really quite simple.

SONSHINE’s commitment to its vision and core values is far more than eloquent explanations on its website.

It’s about PUTTING LOVE INTO ACTION.

Read more news on Refugee Crisis, Faith Based Organizations and World Missions.