Who is Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?

“Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me but Him who sent Me.” (Mark 9:33-37, NASB)

Guerrieros da Luz, Subsidiary of
Laries Idioma Ltda, a Brazilian LLC September 20, 2011
Proposal for
Guerreiros da Luz

I. Summary
Upon my arrival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil around 1998-1999, I immediately noticed the significant amount of homeless and abandoned children in the streets. This touched me, particularly because of my own troubled and uprooted upbringing, and I wanted to understand the reasoning behind this unfortunate scenario in order to make a positive difference.
In 2007 I relocated to Salvador, Bahia and began the project Guerreiros da Luz (translated as “Warrior of Light”) with the goal to help the homeless, disenfranchised and abandoned children reach their fullest potential and become productive world citizens. Studies involving music, poetry, martial arts, and various academics provide the diversity, well-roundedness, and cognitive thinking beneficial to helping these children gain a competitive chance in today’s job market and Brazil’s economy.
The Jackie Robinson Center and Camp Friendship in Brooklyn, New York are both very successful organizations that have helped many at-risk children in the inner cities become productive healthy citizens. I am a product of both of these organizations as a recipient of their service, which led to my contributions as a volunteer. These organizations have aided in guiding and inspiring me to the foundation of Guerreiros da Luz.
Additionally, I have been training in the Brazilian martial art Capoeira since 1997 and have studied various other martial arts as well. My Capoeira studies have played an important role in developing a sense of confidence, focus, discipline, and cultural understanding that I aim to foster in the children as part of the Guerreiros program as their teacher and role model.
Donated funds will be distributed into the program in order to help it function properly and smoothly. These expenses include regular operating costs (rent, utilities, etc.) as well as martial arts uniforms, musical instruments, student supplies, and various food and transportation costs as needed.
Time is critical with these types of projects. A two year plan has been implemented to initiate these changes with positive results. By the time the World Cup is here (2014) the results of this labor and effort will be made apparent. With collaboration, positive change can be implemented with significant impact.
Thank you for your time and consideration of the Guerreiros da Luz project for your grant. Rest assured that if you choose to aid Guerreiros da Luz you will be benefitting the lives of current and future generations.
Sincerely,
Ahmad Mansoor Simmons

II. Introduction
Guerreiros da Luz’s mission is to help underprivileged Brazilian children gain self-sufficiency and self-esteem through the practice and philosophies of the martial arts and academic learning. We are targeting homeless and at risk youth in the cities of Salvador and Morro De Sao Paulo between the ages of 6 and 17.
We will decrease violence in the streets and increase positive and clean communities through the teaching of martial arts, visual arts, music, dance, and academics. Within the next two years we will see the results of this program. We will be able to reform street youth into positive and functional members of society.
There are no programs in Salvador doing what we intend to do with the children and the communities around them which creates an imperative and urgent need for this program be funded and achieve success.

III. Needs/Problems
On Friday, July 23, 1993 eight young “street children”–or meninos de rua– were gunned down as they slept near the Candelaria Church in Downtown Rio de Janeiro. The Candelaria massacre brought renewed attention to the plight of street children, their “elimination” at the hand of death squads, and the heart-wrenching poverty that has come to characterize life for vast numbers of urban residents in Brazil.
Situations like this are frequent and the population’s general disregard for these children is rampant. Here in Salvador there are thousands of homeless children on the streets. In Praca da Piadade, a small plaza, alone there are 15 children who live there while their parents beg for money on the streets. In Pelourinho there are about 10-12 homeless children who are addicted to drugs, and beg and steal money from tourists in order to get drugs and/or food for themselves.
Homeless children are alarmingly abundant. They have either been abused physically, sexually, mentally, or all of the above. Many of these children have become addicted to drugs as a way to cope with their circumstances. What I have found they do have in common is that they are looking for opportunities to better their own lives. Often times it is due to the lack of basic needs that they commit criminal acts such as theft and violence. What they truly need is exposure to other opportunities that may offer them a way off the streets and hope for a future. There are also children who have homes in the community who are also at-risk to become street kids. In order to reach these kids we need to be visible and accessible to them; we will advertise the program with flyers and posters throughout the community and as we grow we will do various demonstrations for the community.
Guerreiros Da Luz is geared to providing these children with skills that can help them learn to change their situations and become productive, happy citizens. They will also gain exposure to other cultures that may give them a different outlook on life. The intended bi-monthly trips to Morro de Sao Paulo will broaden their horizons and stimulate them to venture out of their neighborhoods. Having volunteers and paid capoeira instructors whose hearts are truly into the work that they do and who aim to be positive role models will give these children crucial components: love, respect and belief in themselves.

IV. Goals/Objectives
What we will accomplish with this program is a reduction in the amount of delinquent homeless youth in Salvador. We will be able to give the current homeless youth the means to become positive citizens and role models for other children. By giving these children a way to earn money other than begging and stealing we will decrease the element of danger in the streets of Salvador. This will help increase tourism and improve the overall public view of the city of Salvador. Once people know that Salvador is safe to walk the streets then more people will come to visit the city, increasing the economic state.
We will also be creating a desire within these community children to be educated. We will stimulate overall self-education and a drive for a better life, in turn pulling not only the children up from the ground but uplifting the communities as well. As more and more people see the results of the program it will initiate a greater sense of self-pride and community spirit.

 Goal 1Secure financing for Guerreiros da Luz and hire necessary staff and other cost that will enable us to expand the organization.

 Goal 2 Have a positive impact on local children and adolescents building a desire within the youth to improve their lives through self-improvement and education.

 Goal 3 Have an overall positive impact on the city and surrounding areas. Reevaluate the organization and expand if necessary (see Evaluation section IX).
V. Procedures/Scope of Work
The primary component of this program is the martial arts instruction. We will teach the children Capoeira, Karate, and Jiu-Jitsu three times a week as a way to increase and encourage healthy behavior and discipline. This portion of the program will develop in the children a sense of self-esteem. As they gain proficiency in their martial arts practice they will receive recognition and encouragement, allowing them to gain further confidence, focus and ambition. The uniforms that they wear will symbolize their achievements and they will feel the sense of pride that comes with belonging to a positive community or organization.
The program will also aim to teach the students about the aesthetics of life to increase the heart’s emotional capacity in order to start the healing process from all the abuse. As they learn how to play the instruments involved in Capoeira, and develop their visual and performing arts skills they will have the opportunity to perform at shows around Salvador; organizations such as Tarrafa Boutiquem e Galleria in Rio Vermelho in Salvador have offered their establishments as performance venues.
With the funding assistance, these students will be monetarily compensated for their participation in these events. These types of opportunities will develop in them an entrepreneurial mentality that will create a more resourceful thought process of how to earn their finances as opposed to stealing or begging for money on the streets. It will be possible for students to record a music CD with the purpose of selling it as street vendors or in stores. Those with visual artistic talent and interest will be given the opportunity to sell their work in a similar fashion.
The overall aim is to inspire the student’s desire to learn; to guide them in understanding themselves and the world around them. As the students find out more information and begin to see a viable way to earn an honest living their curiosity will peak.
Those who do not know how to read will learn. As Guerreiros da Luz grows, we will be equipped to offer studies in English as well as other foreign languages, sciences, and mathematics.
Guerreiros da Luz already receives volunteers from the community and from around the world. People from all facets of life, different professions and skill-sets volunteer to work with the organization in the hopes of increasing the students’ awareness of the world around them and provide a diverse set of learning opportunities.As these children are positively impacted, so will be the community; a sense of hope will be renewed. Within no less than two years we will begin to see the results of this program.

VI. Timetable Description of Work Start and End Dates
Phase One
Hire necessary staff, purchase equipment, uniforms, and supplies.
November 2011 – December 2011.

Phase Two
Implement of program development to reach more at-risk children.
December 2011 – June 2012

Phase Three
Evaluate organization and consider necessary steps to ensure growth/progress.
June 2012 – July 2012

VII. Budget
Grants and donations will not be the sole contributions that Guerreiros da Luz will receive. Adult students will be allowed to take classes for a reasonable fee. There will also be foreigners that come to study in the Capoeira program that will pay for the Capoeira classes. A portion of the art and CD sales as well as payment for the performances will go back into the organization for maintenance and upkeep. We also have the ability to receive donations online through our site via PayPal. Regularly we will host a fundraiser event at a local participating club to stimulate the awareness of the program and the community’s involvement in the program as a whole. We will also continue to pursue grants from other sources as well. Our goal is to have this program in place for the next 25 years at least. Description of Work Anticipated Costs
Phase One
Hire necessary staff, purchase equipment, uniforms, supplies, and facility costs.
$116,815.29
Phase Two
Begin expansion of the program. Class costs and meetings with capoeira masters.
$19,518.50
Phase Three
Evaluate organization, determine necessary steps. Outsource accounting fees, consultants and meet with investors in the United States.
$18,460.00
Total
$ 154,793.79
Budget Breakdown Total Expenses: $154,793.79
Phase 1
Annual Rent for Salvador location: $8,667.65
Annual rent for Morro De Sao Paulo: $7,800
Cooking Staff: $2160.00
Cleaning staff: $969.00
30 uniforms: $9,442.06
Musical supplies (i.e. atabaque, pandeiros, berimbaus, reco reco): $758.78
Sound system and recording equipment: $5,693.95
Annual staff cost: $39,123.85
Personal Salary: $42,200.00

Phase 2
Nutrition: $800 per month = $9,600 annual costs
Free Classes: (calculations based off of 12 qualifying students attending classes valued at $60 per month) $8,640 annual costs
Trips around Brazil to hold meetings with capoeira masters:
Airfare: $783.20
Housing: $213.17
Food: $282.13
Phase 3
Administration fees: $3000
Accountant fees: $5400
Travel- twice a year trip to the US in Mar-Jun and Aug-Nov:
Flights: $4,340
Housing and food: $5,720
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Ahmad Mansoor Simmons, CEO
Independent Consultant assists with Organization & Evaluation
Capoeira Instructors Employees
Cooks, Maintenance, Cleaning Staff
VIII. Key Personnel
Guerreiros da Luz is a subsidiary of, Laries Idioma Ltda, a Brazilian llc. Ahmad Mansoor Simmons, CEO will handle directorial duties for the organization. Simmons will be responsible for hiring staff, including but not limited to capoeira instructors, cooks, and cleaning staff. In addition Guerreiros da Luz will outsource certain administrative duties such as organizational evaluations to an independent consulting firm to make sure that the full potential of the organization is being actualized.
Guerreiros da Luz will also outsource tasks such as accounting and marketing/promotions.
IX. Evaluation
Every six months we will conduct an evaluation of the outcome of these programs by interviewing several of the children involved in the program and members of the community. We will also interview the children’s parents. The progress will be determined by the overall behavior of the children during and after classes, at home and in school.
If the people in the community and the school system agree that there has been a positive change in the child’s behavior we will then continue the work that we are doing. If the program is not proving effective then we will restructure the program as necessary. Every third evaluation will be conducted by a qualified outside resource.

X. Endorsements
Selena Alexandria Madden
1880 S. Rimpau Blvd.
Los Angeles, ca 90019
323-228-9524

XI. Next Steps
Actions required of the readers of this document.
 Next Step 1 Review this document and decide if you are going to assist Guerreirros da Luz in our mission to help underprivileged children and adolescents gain skills and self-esteem through the practice and philosophies of the martial arts and academic learning.
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 Next Step 2 Provide financing to help us expand our operation. We will allocate funds towards the hiring of additional staff, purchase of materials, supplies, uniforms, and securing rent and other fees for our facilities.
 Next Step 3 The last step is on our end. We will provide you with updates every 6 months as well as materials from the school including but not limited to music and other artwork to keep you informed on the progress of our mission.

This year we will adding some partners to our list and expanding our efforts to the communities of Ribeira, Massaranduba, Morro de Sao Paulo, and LargoDa Tangue.  We are planning on doing feild trips with each of these groups of kids out to Morro de Sao Paulo and vice versa to began to broaden their horizons.  We will also begin to impliment our emergency intervention program, which in theory will take a few of the Homeless children and try to house them in someplace out of their known environment i.e. taking a child out of Pelourinho and moving him to Morro De Sao Paulo for eight months to a year.  My  theory is that they, by seeing the other side of the fence and experiencing beeing healthy in a positive environment  can get them topermanently ”kick” drugs out of their lives.  May God bless these efforts into fruition.

CEO: Ahmad Mansoor Simmons
www.capoeirabrasilbahia.com
Capoeirabrasilbahia@gmail.com
(71) 9266-7881; (75) 8188-8926

(Instrutor Feijão)