FUTUREWATCH ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION PARTNERS

FutureWatch EDEP is a charity not-fro-profit organization established in 1993. The essence of our work is to engage people in projects that stimulate their thinking, engage them in their own developmental process and make their communities better places to live, work and play. Our main areas of work include: 1. INTRODUCTION AND INTEGRATION INTO THE GREEN SECTOR. Directed to all types of individuals regardless of their background. Main emphasis is done to adult, youth and seniors. Emphasis is done in assisting newcomers, foreign trained professionals seeking to establish themselves in Canada, and individuals concerned with the state of our planet and willing to contribute to local and international projects. 2. GREEN ECONOMY PROJECTS: - FUTUREWATCH SUSTAINABLE FARM COOP (FW-SFC). See project section for detailed description. The Sustainable Farm Coop (SFWFC) is a program that seeks to integrate everyone with sustainable practices on a specific piece of land. It entails the creation of a sustainable farm through organic food production, the design of eco-outdoor recreational activities and the sustainable running of a farm to be located within one hour of the boundaries of the City of Toronto. Our financial target goal: collecting USD $425,000 in 2018-19 through donations and investment shares. - GREEN TIENDA. A social enterprise initiative. An online website based in Toronto that offers opportunities to directly buy high quality products and organic produce. This new program area is in its developmental stages and seeks to commercialise in Canada gourmet rice, organic coffee, organic sugar, and ethnic foods produce locally including Colombian arepas and tamales amongst other things. Visit the website: www.GreenTienda.com 3. INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM. We have a working relationship with rural-towns interested in hosting learning tours to groups/individuals in Colombia, Nicaragua and Paraguay. We have established the following eco-tours: - THE CAFETEROS JOURNEY. A two weeks guided tour to Coffee areas of Colombia complemented with a visit to sea spots in either the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. It includes: airfare Toronto-Bogota (or Medellin City), 2 meals/day, accommodation and internal transportation (by air or terrestrial) or areas of interest. Places to visit are: City of Bogota or Medellin (2 days), visit and stay in farms that includes walking tours and Paso Fino horse back-rides (4 days), visit to either the Eje Cafetero and/or stays in Coffee growing farms in the province of Antioquia (4 days), displacement to sea spots (3 days) and return to Canada. Cost per person: USD $2,900. Minimum number of participants: 8. - The GUARANI JOURNEY A two weeks guided tour that will touch a visit to 2 countries: Paraguay and Brazil. It includes: A return airfare Toronto- Asuncion, a day stay in Asuncion (1 day), visit to countryside farms in the municipality of Aregua and surrounding areas (4 days), Tour to Cities of Encarnation - Ciudad del Este that includes a visit to San Cosme Jesuitic Ruins, beaches of Parana River and a visit to the Falls of Iguazu (joint park between Argentina and Brazil) (5 days), return to Aregua City (3-4 days) that includes a visit to El Chaco Paraguayo, and return to Toronto. Cost per person: USD $3,450. Minimum number of participants: 6. - THE CENTRAL AMERICAN JOURNEY. A two weeks visiting/learning or working tour that will touch upon 3 countries: Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras. It includes: return airfare Toronto - Tegucigalpa (or San Salvador). Visits to capital city (1-2 days), displacement to Pacific coastal communities (2-3 days), land trip to El Salvador that includes several tourist spots (3-4 days), in our way to the Ruins of Copan in Honduras where you will stay for 2 days at this re-known Municipality. From there we will either visit the nearby Atlantic beaches of Honduras and/or we will return to San Salvador or Tegucigalpa for your return airfare to Canada. Cost per person: USD $2800.00 Note: these trip are designed to visit cultural/touristic areas and to stay in local communities to learn about their way of life, thus exchange experiences and areas of expertise. The Central American tour most likely will have a working-tour component (perhaps assisting in the construction of a health centre or providing medical assistance). A portion of your cost will be allocated to support a local project in one of the countries to be visited. Participants are responsible for obtaining their own medical travel insurance. 4. HUMANITARIAN WORK FutureWatch EDEP has supported a number of humanitarian programs to communities affected by natural disasters, living in precarious health situations or in areas of endemic violence, and to children and their youth with endemic medical health situations. We have become a backbone charity organisation for ad-hoc groups raising funds for specific projects that fall into our mission of assisting in the creation of healthy and sustainable communities. In 2017-18 we have supported the following humanitarian initiatives: - CANADA LOVES MOCOA. An initiative that collected Cdn $27,000 in support of reconstruction efforts to rural communities in the Colombian Amazon area affected by a natural disaster in the township of Mocoa, Province of Putumayo. - DRAWING ALEGRIA. In its four year of support, this initiative has coordinated medical brigades to Colombia in order to operate kids and children with palate-cliff diseases. OVer 200 children and their families have changed their lives through this initiative. - DONATE-A-TOY AND GIVE-A-SMILE CAMPAIGN. For 4 years we supported this initiative that brought a smile to more than 1200 kids and youth children in several communities in Colombia, Venezuela and El Salvador. - NATURAL CONNECTIONS. This is a project that has provided opportunities to foreign trained professionals to work within the environmental sector of Canada. In our history, over 300 professionals (mostly immigrants to Canada) have been supported and are working in the green sector thanks to our efforts. This program is currently delivered on a volunteer-basis. FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY POLICY FutureWatch EDEP has become a volunteer-based organisation and has switched its focus from pursuing government grants to initiatives that generate our own income. The program areas described above are a reflection of this philosophy. YOUR SUPPORT WILL MAKE POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE A SOUND LEVEL OF FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY THAT WILL BENEFIT LOCAL AND GLOBAL COMMUNITIES. For more information, please contact us at: info@futurewatch.net.