name: Shelter for Life
text: The work of Shelter For Life International (SFL) was initially sparked when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1978 and millions of Afghans began to pour into Pakistan as refugees. Already at work in Asia, Thor and Debi Armstrong moved to Pakistan with a dedicated team of people in 1982. Their first pilot project began with funding from the UNHCR to build geodesic domes for Afghan refugees.
  
  In 1984 Shelter Now International (SNI) was officially registered with the Government of Pakistan and also in Perth, Australia as a non-profit organization. Over the years, SNI was able to build 1,800 multi-purpose geodesic domes for thousands of refugees, widows, and the disabled.
  
  Later, SNI established factories in Pakistan and Afghanistan to produce concrete roof beams and other housing components to be used by families to help rebuild their homes and communities. By 1990, the work prospered and eventually reached a million dollars in annual project expenditures.
  
  In 1991, SNI was registered as a not-for-profit organization with its international headquarters based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Soon afterwards, the Gulf War sent millions of Kurds fleeing from their homes, granting SNI the opportunity to respond to the needs of the Iraqi people and launching the organization as an international NGO. Over the years, SFL has served in many countries, including Afghanistan, Angola, Burundi, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kosovo, Macedonia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, and Western Sahara, primarily in the areas of shelter, construction, and community development.
  
  In 2002, SNI changed its name to Shelter For Life International in part to reflect its commitment to community development and holistic programs.
  
  SFL is a religious organisation.
  
  http://www.shelter.org/