2015 ANNUAL REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Letter from Executive Director

Our trip to Mali

Water for a Village

Al-Najwa Villages development

Iftar and Gifts

Food baskets

Udhiyah

Ramadan

Feed an orphan a hot meal

School Supplies for Syrian Refugee Children in Jordan

Stuff a backpack, save a future

Crowdfunding platform

Braille Quran

Thousand meals for the homeless

Inspiration series

Letter from Mohamed Zeyara

Accounting

Contact us

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FAHIM AREFExecutive Director

Growing up in Chicago has taught me many life lessons. I was one of the fortunate few to beat the odds by not falling victim to my environment, which was riddled with gangs, drugs and other temptations. I’ve been blessed with an entrepreneurial spirit since I was a young child and I’ve used this spirit to start numerous successful enterprises. These enterprises include a wireless communications business, an oil and gas business, an I.T. business and a real estate investment business. These businesses prepared me for my future role by teaching me to be creative, resourceful, self-sufficient and have allowed me to establish a network of contacts.

As a Muslim, I’ve come to realize that there is more to life than accumulating material possessions. This realization inspired me. Alhamdulillah, married now and a father of four beautiful children. What better way to teach my children about the importance of Sadaqa than using a hands on approach? So I rolled up my sleeves and after much planning and many sleepless nights, a new charity was born- Pious Projects of America, where I serve as Executive Director. I know nothing comes easy in life and the harder you work towards your goals, the more you enjoy the fruits of your labor.

The concept was simple: make a crowdfunding platform for people to donate any amount they wished. I also sought to bridge the gap by bringing as many charities and donors together, and to create a network of dedicated volunteers from all over the globe. Since most charities used methods that were old fashioned, I wanted to adopt/take a new approach by creating high quality video content and documentaries for our projects. I also wanted to make sure that donors were updated personally on what they were able to accomplish with their donations. One of the most import-ant things for me was being able to give the donor "more bang for their buck" by using 100% of the donations received towards the intended purpose. We were able to accomplish this by separating each campaign and allowing donors to contribute directly to an administrative fund if they choose to, which would cover any expenses unrelated to the specific campaign. Currently, our board members and staff, including myself, are all volunteers. And our small office space is donated which helps significantly to keep our administrative costs down to a minimum.

As Executive Director, I oversee the day-to-day operations of Pious Projects of America, along with its strategic plan-ning to ensure that the organization achieves its mission. �In our first year we’ve had many successful achievements. Our most recent project, Al-Najwa Villages in Mali, has raised over one million dollars in donations to bring water, education, medical, and religious services to over 100,000 people in Africa; not to mention, this project also motivat-ed many of the youth to take an initiative in doing more volunteer work and getting more involved in their local commu-nities. We are also co-sponsors of the Inspiration 2 series and are currently working on creating an online platform to spread this educational series across the globe in as many as 12 major spoken languages.

We hope that with your continued support, we will not only be able to make a difference in the lives of the recipients of these projects, but inspire you to make a difference in the world as well.

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OUR TRIP TO MALIOn June 4th, 2015 a crew of Pious Projects volunteers set off on an unforgettable trip to Mali in the African continent. The volunteers arrived in Mali with excited hearts and miss-ing luggage. Some of the equipment was lost in the trip, but luckily a crew member still had a camera on him. The documentary about Al Najwa villages has shown success at telling a story of a community that is in need for help. Thanks to collective efforts of many people on board the Mali campaigns, the filmed documentary has had huge success, with over 100 thousand views and still counting.

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Upon arrival the crew was met by the community leaders and jumping children excited to see what the guests would bring. It was striking how little possessions these people have, yet their faces carry sincere smiles full of joy that melt anybody’s hearts right from the start. The team quickly made themselves at home and began to develop a bond with the villagers.

Community leaders expressed their grievances to the team, which included water shortage, overcrowded mosques, lack of medical centers and schools. The humility of their homes, the lack of water and food was difficult to absorb, leaving more than one wondering about life back at home. The improvement of a community takes time and the change cannot be done in a day. The campaign requires a lot of effort from many fronts, and lots of funds. However, despite the obstacles the greater good is at stake and what Pious Projects does is with the sole intent to bring happiness to those who lack the basic needs for decent living, and of course always seeking the pleasure of Allah.

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New uniforms sponsored by Pious Projects were worn by each team which both played their hearts out in hopes to become the Mali cup champions, which was decided by extra kicks, victory belonged to the green team.

Fahim Aref looking over the reading material in a basic classroom in Mali.

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WATER FOR A VILLAGE“Whosoever digs a well will receive reward for that from Allah on the Day of Judgment when anyone among jinn, men and birds drink from it” - Prophet Mohammed (saw)

(Bukhari and Muslim).

As life goes on we often fail to recognize the vital role of water, but for a person living in Mali water can mean the differ-ence between life or death. The Pious Projects crew visited some of the poorest villages in Mali looking to make an impact in their lives. Not surprisingly due to Mali’s geography, we realized the significant lack of water. Most of the villag-es have either malfunctioned or broken wells which provide dirty water unsuitable for drinking or cooking. Cases of disease abound in rural areas where water is unsanitary.

One cannot stop to think how lucky and blessed we are when obtaining water is as easy as opening the tap. People in Mali must travel large distances to get to water. They travel almost the entire day carrying heavy jugs, only to do it again the next day. Imagine how much water we waste a day, how many people can quench their thirst with that minute we let the sink running while we brush our teeth?

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The tragic need of our brothers and sisters in Mali is heartbreaking. One should not pity but seek ways to help them overcome their difficulties. The lack of something as basic as water prevents a society from flourishing and thinking about anything beyond survival. Putting our lives in perspective makes one reflect upon the blessings which Allah (SWT) has bestowed upon us and makes clear our responsibility towards those who need our help the most. Water wells have been built in various villages. With the help of donors and engineers more people have accessible and clean water to satiate their thirst in the hot Sub-Sahara country of Mali.

A water well that PP opened that was sponsored by a donor. $2,500 sponsors an entire well for a village.

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Villagers happily gather at the opening of their newly constructed wells. Their hands high in praises to Allah for increasing their bounty, asking Allah to reward the people responsible for this new well.

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AL - NAJWA VILLAGES DEVELOPMENTIn the middle of Sub-Sahara desert people are constantly battling sand, heat, and the overbearing Sun. Villagers must travel long distances every day in order to have access to facilities such a mosque, school, and medical centers. Individual villages hardly have any of the mentioned facilities and if there are any they are in undesirable conditions.

One of the first villages that we visited and promised to build them a masjid, school, medical center & water well.

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Children in Mali love to study the Quran and many have it memorized. These children have humble schools and no fancy gadgets yet they value their education and adventure out of their houses everyday just to get to school. Our goal is to make schools more accessible to the children where they do not have to walk far away on their own.

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When one looks at the humility of the mosques in Mali, the simplicity is shocking because we are used to luxurious buildings and impressive rugs. Here they have nothing but the ground and their faith. It is a beautiful reminder that regardless of how big our mosques are, most of the time they are empty whereas these tiny buildings harbor more people than it can hold.

New masjid sponsored by one of our anonymous donors.

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IFTAR AND GIFTS FOR MALIRamadan Kareem is a common expression in the Arabic language, which means a generous Ramadan. The expression serves as a wish and a reminder that the holy month is time to give, not only one’s desires but also one’s wealth. Hundreds of people donated for the Mali campaign to provide iftar meals, Qurans, and gifts for the people of Mali. True gratitude showed bright in their smiles and in their warm welcome towards the volunteers. Their hearts pleased that Allah sent them kind souls seeking to make a difference in their lives for the sake of Allah and the hereafter.

Most of times you will find certain verses of the Holy Qur'an hand written or carved on wooden planks.

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Ramadan is a time of sacrifice and worship, but it is also a time for generosity and union. Iftar dinners were offered in various villages, gifting baskets of goods to families to break their fasts with nutritious meals they hardly get to see. Also during Ramadan there was a distribution of Quran among the villagers. The novelty of the words of Allah imprinted in the pages of a book brightened their days. Although all they had was wooden planks, many people had the entire or part of the Book memorized. A Pious Projects Quran competition allowed the villagers to demonstrate their abilities and beautiful recitations.

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FOOD FOR MALI LESS THAN $1 A DAY

The situation in Mali is alarming. Food is scarce in the region and many children die at a young age due to deficiency in their diets. Producing food in their country is difficult on most cases and the food they do eat is not nutritious enough to keep them healthy. It does not take much from us to feed a family in Mali. The campaign to feed villagers with at least $1 a day has brought joy to many families. Food containers are filled up with basic groceries to feed entire families for days. Hundreds of food baskets were given to the people in Ramadan 2015. Many families went home with enough food to see them through the month of Ramadan.

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AFGHANISTAN

BANGLADESH

BURMA

CENTRAL AFRICA

EGYPT

ETHIOPIA

ERITRIA

DAR FUR

GAMBIA

GUINEA

JORDAN

IRAQ

MALAWI

MAURITANIA

MOZAMBIQUE

NIGER

PAKISTAN

PALESTINE W.B. & GAZA

RAWANDA

SENEGAL

SIERRA LEONE

SOMALIA

UGANDA

UDHIYAHThanks to generous donors the Udhiyah Qurbani campaign was a success. Hundreds of people were able to cele-brate Eid-Adha with the ceremonial sacrifice. Plenty of meat was distributed among needy people all over developing countries. Udhiyah campaign was able to raise more than $25,000 which covered the costs. All the countries part of the Udhiyah campaign were:

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Inside a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan.

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RAMADAN IFTARDISTRIBUTIONFasting families were able to break their fast with a decent meal to help them through. Each family received two whole chickens and a sack of rice. Sometimes a little help goes a long way because by helping our brothers and sisters break their fast with nutritious meals we are not only getting the reward from Allah, but we are also bringing reassurance in their hearts that there are people out there who still care, and who are aware of their struggles.

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FEED AN ORPHANA HOT MEAL

Ramadan 2014, before Pious Projects was found-ed, executive director Fahim Aref went on a trip to Jordan and brought delicious sandwiches to the orphans so they could break their fast. The children were happy and glad to have a delicious meal. Their smiles and heartwarming laughter softens the heart of anyone. The program was so successful, Pious Projects kept this good deed going in 2015 and delivered over 5,000 hot meals ever since. Children who have lost so much to war and violence are like beacon of light for the aver-age person because these kids have suffered great pain and yet their smiles shine bright with enthusiasm and desire to live in a better world befitting for warrior souls like these kids.

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One of the poorest refugee camps in Jordan houses over 700 orphans. These children sleep with fear and restless-ness as mostly everything has been taken away from them. Our goal is to not allow them to lose the opportunity for a better future through education. Not only will it help to keep their busy minds occupied in something other than war and pain, education could be a source of strength that gives them hope. Pious Projects worked on sending back-packs full with school supplies for the (year) school year. Sometimes a pencil or a notebook seem meaningless to us but to these kids it could mean a bright smile on their faces and an outlet to express their minds and be kids again.

STUFF A BACKPACK, SAVE A FUTUREMillions of children have had their lives destroyed because of the war raging havoc in Syria. The brutality of the Syrian regime has forced millions to flee and seek refuge in adjacent countries. Over 430,000 Syrian refugees have made it to the Za'atari refugee camp in Jordan including over 400,000 children. As of June of 2015, the camp housed 75,878 individual refugee with 43,417 under the age of 18. These children have seen their houses destroyed, family members killed, and their normal lives taken away without pity. Education is important for the development of these children, a way to occupy their minds and give them hope about a brighter future. The simple gesture of bringing school supplies to these children facilitates thieir learning and allows them to have some ownership over their lives and the future of their families. We are currently crowdfunding for this campaign in order to distribute for the new school year in 2016.

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CROWDFUNDING PLATFORMPious Projects of America is a crowdfunding platform. The idea is that the donor has plenty of options to donate to and knows where his/her money is going. All members of Pious Projects are volunteers and earn zero income with entirely all proceeds going to the campaigns.Other organizations have the accessibility of creating an account and launching a fundraising campaign on their own with no user fees. Notable organizations that have used Pious Projects’ platform are:

American Arab Family ServicesCenter for Islamic Teachings Community DevelopmentDarussalam FoundationMuslim American SocietyTazkeyah CenterSyrian American Medical SocietyUnited Holy Land FundUnited Muslim ReliefZakat Foundation

Over $8,000 raised for Baitulmaal organization to purchase Braille Quran's for the blind.

BRAILLE QURANThe ability to see is easily disregarded. It is so natural people tend to stop to think how valuable vision is to us. How-ever, being visually impaired does not mean life must become all shadows. People who lack vision tend to develop other senses such as hearing and touch, and their disability does not stop them from pursuing their dreams and goals. The Quran is a beautiful book marvelous to look upon, yet, not everyone is lucky to have the eyes to see it. It is our goal to print as many braille Quran for the visually impaired because they should be able to read and ponder the words of Allah. Our campaign for Quran in Braille has been raising funds and distributing sets of the Quran to those who crave the words of Allah.

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Campaigns on Pious Projects platform by other organizations

Mas youth Summer Camp raised over $2,500

Syrian American Medical Society raised over $30,000 on our platform

United Holy Land Fund raises over$5,000 in Ramadan

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A THOUSAND MEALS FOR THE HOMELESSOver 40 volunteers and many of them children, gathered up to make over 1,000 nutritional meals to be taken to various homeless shelters in Chicago. You can watch the complete video by visiting the url: https://vimeo.com/148755311

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INSPIRATION SERIESReflecting upon life is a deed encouraged to any human being with the ability to reason, but reflecting upon one’s char-acter is a must in order to grow and prosper in the life we so hard try to understand. Inspiration Series are not only a form of Dawah (call to Islam), but they show key elements of the ideal character of a Muslim based on a love for the Sunnah of the Prophet Mohammed (May peace and blessings be upon him). The series serve as reminders and expla-nations about concepts of the Islamic religion that even Muslims tend to misunderstand. The goal is to touch a deep part of the viewer’s soul and encourage that introspective reflection that tends to lead to change.

Inspiration Series 2 is a co-production of Pious Projects, featuring Sheikh Omar Suleiman and Mohamed Zeyara. Season 2 is under production with a broader and innovative concept. If lives can be saved, minds can be changed, hearts can be healed, all the efforts of the team would have been achieved. Transmitting the message of Islam and the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) holds a great a reward, but so does watching, increasing one’s knowledge and choosing to act upon what is wrong with our society and ourselves.

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MOHAMEDZEYARA

We were taught at a young age that a donation is everlasting reward. Thus, millions of good hearted people seek to help the needy to receive a sum of such reward. But as ironic as it sounds, many people genuinely do not know where to send their donations. Or who to trust with their donations; they are not to be blamed. Therefore, we decid-ed to provide a unique opportunity that will assist people to donate, then witness the change they’ve helped accomplish. And the only possible way to do that was through film. Hence, we presented the idea of building schools, worship halls, medical centers and wells to the team of Pious Projects of America. But the unique part about it was going on field, filming a documentary, and asking the needy what they are in need of exactly. The footage was taken, shared online, and the needy received exactly what they asked for. Al-Najwa Project raised over a million dollars, and the construction has been spontaneous. The success of the project assured our hypoth-esis prior to the initiation: The heart feels what the eyes see. So let’s show them!

After the success of Al-Najwa Project, I’ve been working on multiple projects with Pious Projects. Helping the developing world is essential, however, inspiring and motivating the youth in developed countries is just as import-ant. One of the most successful projects was Inspiration Series Season 2 which was co-sponsored by Pious Projects. Inspiration Series is viewed by millions across the world on TV and Youtube. Discussing various struggles faced by our youth such as: faith, family, drugs, friends etc… The feedback has been phenomenal. With God’s support then yours, we plan to keep moving forward, one project at a time.

Over 120 Water Wells have been open this year in Mali

Millions of children have had their lives destroyed because of the war raging havoc in Syria. The brutality of the Syrian regime has forced millions to flee and seek refuge in adjacent countries. Over 430,000 Syrian refugees have made it to the Za'atari refugee camp in Jordan including over 400,000 children. As of June of 2015, the camp housed 75,878 individual refugee with 43,417 under the age of 18. These children have seen their houses destroyed, family members killed, and their normal lives taken away without pity. Education is important for the development of these children, a way to occupy their minds and give them hope about a brighter future. The simple gesture of bringing school supplies to these children facilitates thieir learning and allows them to have some ownership over their lives and the future of their families. We are currently crowdfunding for this campaign in order to distribute for the new school year in 2016.

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On Sunday, November 29th 2015, over 30 volunteers took the streets of Chicago in search for the homeless and less fortu-nate. We were able to distribute over 100 care packages that were filled with the basic necessities needed for a harsh Chicago winter.

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1 MILLION FOR MALIOur documentary video to our visit to Mali truly exceeded all expectations. We were able to secure slightly over 1 Million dollars in donations for this cause. Below are just some of the wonderful things we were able to accomplish in such a short period of time. I know a Million bucks these days does not do much, but it sure did a lot in Mali.

Completed 120 Water Wells to in over 100 villages

Constructed 8 large Mosque’s

Constructed 21 Classrooms

Constructed 3 medical buildings

Provided over 20 Tons of Food

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P I O U S P R O J E C T S

FINANCIAL SUMMARYComing soon

Thanks to the countless efforts of our board members and volunteers, we were able to operate and dedicate funding of 100% of our proceeds to the actual projects that it was meant for. We do not have any paid staff and our office space is being donated. Our minimal overhead is less than 1% of the total donations received and comes only from dona-tions received in our admin fund. As we continue to grow, we will utilize even more volunteers to keep 100% of your donation to be used for what it was intended for.

9944 S Roberts Rd suite 201 • Palos Hills, IL 60465 • 708-978-7000w w w . P i o u s p r o j e c t s . o r g

www.Alnajwavillages.org

Become a Volunteer and register today at www.piousprojects.org/volunteer