ANNUAL REPORT

2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS13

21

20

19

18

17

15 Cambodia

India

Nepal

Financial Information

Moments

Moments

Contact

3 Executive Director Message

Board Chair Message4

About DWC5

Who We Helped in 20156

Volunteers7

Donors8

Fundraising9

Programs10

Programs11

Guatemala12

Peru

Sri Lanka14

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What an amazing year it has been! We launched a new program called Light up Guatemala, an init iative that will drastically improve the health of women and children, as well as reduce the levels deforestation caused by ongoing f irewood consumption in Guatemala.

Thanks to a generous donor, DWC f inally has a cutting edge online presence in the form of a new website.

We launched a monthly giving program called Global Village. It will provide us consistent funding to improve people?s lives regardless of whether we have teams on the ground.

We entered into a partnership with Clearly to provide reading glasses to beneficiaries who, because they can't even afford $2.50 for a pair of glasses, struggle to read the print on the goods they buy, thread the needle that they depend on for

their l ivelihood, read to their grandchildren and a host of other day-to-day activit ies that we in Canada take for granted.

The Kilimanjaro Challenge was an epic success, both in terms of the publicity it gave us and the dollars we raised to complete a school in Sierra Leone and support our work.

Lastly, we had some amazing new staff join our team. Their talents and enthusiasm have helped breathe a new energy and excitement into DWC and the work that we do that makes me look forward to coming to work every day. What a privilege it is to be a part of this organization.

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Joshua Molsberry Executive Director

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FROM THE BOARD CHAIR

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2015 Board Members

Dan Miller, chairWayne McRann, treasurer

Lisa Lake, secretaryKym Behrns, past chair, directorMarcia Julian, past chair, director

Hagan Ainsworth, directorBonnie Flanagan, directorNeville Flanagan, directorJanet McKelvey, director

Richard C. Srepel, director

2015 was a year of highlights, but for me nothing exemplif ies the importance of our l itt le organization and what we do than our f irst board trip to San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala, in November. The entire DWC board went and met with one of our longest-serving NGOs, Open Windows Foundation (OWF). We helped install eco-stoves for the Light Up Guatemala project, worked on a kitchen for OWF and distributed readers and sunglasses for Clearly - all in 10 days.

We held a board meeting at a rooftop restaurant in Antigua (and actually got off icial business done) and met with the board of OWF in the lush garden of one of their directors. Getting that f irsthand insight into the projects affected me personally as I saw the smiles of people getting glasses that would allow them to read and sew. Then there was the woman who was ecstatic about her eco-stove. Previously her baby hung in a hammock from the ceiling as she knelt on the dirt f loor, cooking with smoke billowing throughout the room and out the doorway. Her new stove removed all that smoke and she won't have to cook kneeling down any more. We will continue working with Theresa at Open Windows to allow children to attend school unconditionally. Lastly, I did all this with some of my closest friends - how could you ask for

anything more - although I could have done with out getting il l for two days. All I can say is it leaves you with wonder and a huge feeling of accomplishment. Other highlights from 2015 include our new relationship with Clearly, renewed ties with Home Hardware and strengthened relations with all our other non-government organizations in host countries that have developed through the efforts of our staff and Joshua Molsbury, our ED.

DWC continues with volunteer trips while diversifying by moving into more fundraising and revenue sources. While the greatly successful Mount Kilimanjaro Challenge actually happened in early 2016, all of the planning and organization happened in 2015. And once again with huge support from our community at large we had the most successful golf tournament to date.

DWC itself has undergone signif icant change, with an overhaul of staff , however the off ice has also become more eff icient and is f lexing as the organization changes. I would like to sincerely thank both the current staff and those who have left, as well as all board members for their efforts and the volunteers who help us so much throughout the year everywhere. I look forward to a prosperous 2016.

Dan Miller Board Chair

Developing World Connections is a non-profit international development organization that mobilizes volunteers and resources to address issues of poverty and social justice around the world.

We are a registered Canadian charity with no religious, political, or corporate affiliations.

OUR MISSION

Developing World Connections?s mission is to connect people and resources through interna-tional community development.

OUR VISION

We envision a globally engaged, poverty free, socially just world.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

We believe the footprint we leave behind should be gentle, the friendships great and the memories we bring home should positively and profoundly impact our lives.

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ABOUT DEVELOPING WORLD CONNECTIONS

WHERE WE HELPED IN 2015Developing World Connections partners with grassroots, non-profit orga-nizations that demonstrate the ability to oversee sustainable development projects abroad. Our partners' work empowers people to lead more pro-ductive, healthy and happy lives.

In 2015, we supported nine host partners in nine countries in Africa, Asia and Central/Latin America. They were: Equitable Cambodia in Cambodia, Rise Above Foundation in the Philippines, Vimarsh and Jatan in India, IFE-

JANT in Peru and Open Windows Foundation in Guatemala. We also work with TRIP Canada in Sri Lanka.

Trips to Sierra Leone (partner We Yone Child Foundation) and Nepal (Cre-ating Possibilities Nepal) were cancelled due to Ebola and earthquakes, but DWC sent financial support to both. Kenya (UBUNTU) was negatively impacted by Ebola, although it is far removed from affected areas. Trips there were cancelled in 2015 but are gaining support in 2016.

GUATEMALA

PERU

SIERRA LEONE

KENYA

SRI LANKA

INDIA

NEPAL

PHILIPPINES

CAMBODIA

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Developing World Connections will always remain true to its roots. But the need to diversify has seen the organization branch out further into fundraising and monthly giving programs than in the past. The broader the base of support, the more solid footing that DWC has to continue its programs and trips.

In 2015, DWC kicked off its Global Village monthly giving program as well as the highly successful Mount Kilimanjaro Challenge climb. Long-time supporter Ryan Bosa stepped up to ask his friends, family and clients to give to Light Up Guatemala at Christmas. And give they did, raising $41,000. All of our donors deserve recognition, and we can never thank them enough for their generosity and consistent support. We are thankful to have them all on board.

In 2015, we received a total of $X,XXX,XXX in donations, compared with $1,076,294 in 2014. Donations came from our volunteers participating on trips, fundraising campaigns for specific projects and donors who supported host partners' efforts or made a general donation to DWC.

DONORS

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR MAJOR DONORS

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These people and companies made outstand-ing, generous donations to Developing World Connections or to our host partners in 2015.

We want to extend our hearfelt gratitude for their support:

- Ryan Bosa, Embassy BOSA- Flora Bosa, Palladio Jewelers- Softchoice- Can 21- Ainsworth Communications- Derek Johnston- Nick Foster and the Benefaction

Foundation- Mitchell Zulinick and Arrow Transporta-

tion Systems- Kim and Gisele Krueger

Sun Rivers Golf Resort again hosted our fantastic fall golf tournament in September. This was the eighth year we have held this event and it just keeps getting bigger and better.

Rick Kurzac and Home Hardware co-sponsored this great fundraiser for DWC. More than $50,000 was raised through fees, sponsorships, donations and auctions as 131 players teed off on Sept. 10.

Part of the proceeds are going to Light Up Guatemala, DWC's initiative to install eco-stoves in the homes of impoverished families. A long list of generous sponsors and donors gave support. Our heartfelt gratitude to them and the volunteers who made the golf tournament a fabulous event.

Shellie Franklin did a stellar job in making the 2015 tournament memorable, and is already making plans for the 2016. Mark Sept. 8, 2016 on your cal-endar and start practicing your swing.

FUNDRAISINGGOLF TOURNAMENT

NEPAL EARTHQUAKE RELIEF

On April 25, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake shook the Gorkha region of Nepal, killing more than 8,000 people and leaving thousands homeless. Homes, schools, old buildings and whole vil-lages were flattened.

Within three weeks, DWC organized a fundrais-ing dinner for Nepal Earthquake Relief, in part-nership with Indocan Link and Flavours of India. More than $10,000 was raised for Creating Pos-sibilities Nepal, DWC's host partner in Nepal. Families were given food, water, tarps and metal roofs for temporary shelter while building something more permanent.

The earthquake also prevented a team of volun-teers from going to Nepal in September. But the country is back on DWC's trip schedule for 2016, with teams slated for June, August and October. 8

Technically, this fundraiser actually hap-pened in the early days of 2016. But all the work was done in 2015, so it 's being included in this year.

The event raised more than $50,000 for work DWC does around the world and specif ically to complete schools in Sierra Leone that the organization committed to building before Ebola broke out.

This climb of a lifetime involved 18 people, eight days, a 19,341-foot mountain , a team of more than 60 porters and other climbing suport staff , and untold wounds and injuries.

It also left those 18 people forever changed and proud of making it to the summit of Africa's tallest free-standing mountain while supporting education in Sierra Leone.

MT. KILIMANJARO CHALLENGE

Light Up Guatemala is DWC's initiative to install eco-stoves in the homes of impoverished families who need them to live healthier lives.

The program launched in 2015 with three teams installing stoves: Nick Foster's group in August,the board team in November and Rick Kurzac's crew in November/December. More than half of Guatemalan households rely on wood fires for cooking and heat, which causes major respiratory problems and even death.

In total, 63 eco-stoves went into homes like that of Rubia Marroquin and Sergio Canaa, who live without running water or electricity in a house made of concrete blocks and tin siding. Their lung health was tested be-fore they got their stove and will be tested again to follow up on the dif-ference it has made.

The couple lives in San Miguel Duenas, where Sergio works as a farm labourer on contract. He gets paid a percentage of what the farm owner sells.

In 2015, heavy, late-arriving rains destroyed all the crops. They borrowed money to buy seeds and fertilizer, hoping they could sow and reap a sec-ond crop. If that didn't work, they weren't sure how they would feed their four children.

The eco-stove they received in November meant they didn't have to spend as much money on firewood (the stoves burn much more efficiently so supplies last longer) and there would be no more lung-damaging smoke inside their home. With young children in the house, that's important.

PROGRAMSLIGHTING UP GUATEMALA ONE ECO-STOVE AT A TIME

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Developing World Connections formalized an agreement with Vancouver-based Clearly (formerly known as Clearly Contacts) in 2015 to distribute reading glasses and sunglasses at eye clinics.

The first clinic was held in Guatemala in November. A second series of five clinics was done in early 2016 in Sri Lanka. In both countries, poverty and distance have been factors in residents not being able to access proper eyewear for their needs.

At that debut one-day clinic in the mountain village of San Jose Calderas, Guatemala, 53 people were tested and matched up with a pair of readers and 30 others got sunglasses.

The benefit for those getting the readers was the ability to read, sew and do paperwork. For 76-year-old midwife Eulalia Cana, her new 3.5-power reading glasses would make a huge difference for her to be able to deal with paperwork and do her job efficiently and well.

Those who got sunglasses not only looked cool, but got protection from the bright Guatemalan sun's damaging rays. One of those recipients was a 60-year-old farmer with only one good eye.

In addition to testing and providing the right glasses for the right person, the clinics are also a chance to teach about eye health.

PROGRAMSREADING AND SEEING CLEARLY

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That smile. We didn't get her name, but Jose Tatawin's wife gave DWC board members the most memorable smile as they interviewed the couple who were chosen to get an eco-stove in November. Trying to coax a grin out of her, board members asked how they met.

Jose began talking about seeing his future wife when she was a teenager and being struck by how beautiful she was. That comment created that smile. The Tatawins live in San Miguel Due-nas where DWC partner Open Windows Foun-dation hosted four teams in 2015.

Those teams build community facilities including a community kitchen at Open Windows and in-stalled eco-stoves in the homes of dozens of families barely getting by - families like the Tatawins, who will be healthier not having to breathe in smoke from open fires used for cook-ing and heat.

DWC's eco-stove program, Light Up Guatemala, makes families healthier. The stoves vent smoke outside and burn wood fuel more effi-ciently so it lasts longer. The stoves also pro-vide a raised cooking surface so women aren't hunched over the floor.

The DWC board headed to Guatemala with ex-ecutive director Joshua Molsberry as team leader. Not only did they install eco-stoves and do construction work, but they also held a clinic for eye testing and distributing reading glasses and sunglasses as part of a partnership be-tween DWC and Clearly.

Other teams to Guatemala were Rick Kurzac's crew in November, Nick Foster's group in Au-gust and Tony Dufficy's volunteers in April. In total, 52 volunteers went to San Miguel Duenas to work with Open Windows doing projects that are of great benefit to the people there.

We met a mother of six living in a small space, about 20 feet X 20 feet, with three small build-ings. One building had the kitchen with a dirt floor, two corn-stalk-walled rooms and an old tin roof that was falling apart. The woman hap-pily welcomed us in and proudly showed us how carefully she had stored the new eco-stove parts in her bedroom. They were neatly tucked away under her dresser and beside her bed.

Levelling the dirt floor for a stable foundation proved incredibly difficult as we only had a ma-chete, tin snips and the parts for the stove. Like the locals, we had to use what was available to complete our installations.

The woman's children were beautiful and bright eyed, spilling with curiosity about what four strangers were doing in their home. When we ran into a minor setback with a missing stove part, they were happy have our attention and play while we waited for a missing piece to be found. The extra few minutes allowed us to learn more of the family's story, take in more of our surroundings and reflect on how we were making a positive impact.

- Michelle Downey, GMA1115

GUATEMALA

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COMMUNITY KITCHEN, ECO-STOVES AND GLASSES

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Talk about getting your hands dirty.

Lima, Peru was the destination for two DWC teams in spring of 2015: Bodwell High School from Vancouver with Tommy Marx and an under-30 group of Thompson Rivers University students led by Jordan Ellis.

Both worked with host partner IFEJANT on mak-ing improvements to a school in the barrios of Lima.

Much of the work was heavy, involving retaining walls and stairs, pouring concrete around a school built on a hillside and digging fence post holes in rock-hard ground.

When all was done, the teams left behind concrete-and-rock retaining walls around the school and a set of stairs with a solid wood rail-ing on both sides to keep school children safe as they come and go.

The teams were small - seven and nine participants not including team leaders - but they were dedicated and worked hard, and they made a lot of progress. In their down time, they played soccer with local children and took in some of tourist sites.

Like many DWC volunteers, these groups relished their time spent with the local children. And the children reciprocated, hanging out with the volunteers and challenging them on the playing fields. Bonds were made, understanding was created.

PERUSTUDENTS MAKE SCHOOL BUILDING BETTER, SAFER

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When you live in a country like Canada, you can easily take water for granted. It?s every-where. It?s clean. It?s safe. So when you come to a place like Lima, where on the news it said 700,000 Limans don?t have access to water (and that?s not counting the millions who live in the outskirts like San Jose Obrero where we are working), it?s hard to fathom. It?s hard to empathize. Until you see the rock and the dust swirling and encircling everyone and everything. And you see a truck hauling water up a mountain and piping it into tubs because if it didn?t there wouldn?t be any. Just more dust. And then, when you feel and taste the dust, you can know, and you can appreciate. And you can be grateful for the luxury of cleanliness.

- Team Bodwell, PER0415

Sri Lanka was where Developing World Connections got its real start as an organization. Last year was a time to mark that start and look at what has been accomplished in 10 years.

The 'official' DWC anniversary team was led by Marcia Julian in March, followed by Janet McKelvey's TRIP Canada group in April. Wade Billey's Rotary team marked the end of this landmark year with some major trench construction work for water irrigation in October. Those three teams totalled 42 volunteers and leaders.

Marcia's team included DWC founder Wayne McRann and five others who were on that inaugural trip to Sri Lanka in 2005. They toured the area that they first laid eyes on weeks after the devastating tsunami.

What a change. They saw well-tended houses where there had been bare

ground, a Buddhist shrine, gardens, the trades training centre and a school built by DWC and TRIP Canada.

The local monk blessed the ceremony and spoke about the great work DWC and TRIP Canada have done.

Even though there was celebrating, there was also work. Marcia's group built a stage for Navajeevana to be rented and hold events. They also held eye testing clinics for readers and sunglasses.Janet's team was busy building a community centre with a library, computer lab and meeting room. They also put sweat into a Muslim school, temple/pre-school and Buddhist temple.

Wade's crew was small but mighty. The six men helped dig trench to lay down irrigation pipes - messy, dirty, muscle-aching working.

SRI LANKA

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RECOGNIZING A DECADE OF CONNECTIONS

Memorable quotes from Janet's team:

?I have reached a new low dressing each day trying to decide ? what is the least dirty thing I can put on!??We are lucky to have so much. But at the same time it blinds us from what is re-ally important in life.??I have found muscles I never knew I had ? both from working hard and laughing. We laughed so much I feel it right down in my belly!"?It is quite astonishing that while I came to make a difference to others, I feel that the life that has changed the most is my own.?

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CAMBODIA

Building a latrine is anything but elegant. But where community health is concerned, a latrine is of huge importance to all.

Two teams went to Odong village, Cambodia, in 2015 to work with DWC partner Equitable Cambodia. In January, Tony Dufficy led a group of 19 from St. Thomas high school, and in February Don Brimacombe was in charge of a group of nine participants.

Both groups had members willing to sample such delicacies as deep-fried tarantulas. These were people with a strong sense of adventure.

They also had a strong work ethic, with each team building two latrines and two gates, regardless of the mud, the heat, the humidity. a distant fire and a small ferris wheel.

You know an experience made an impact when one St. Thomas student asked about the low point said: "Not being able to be here longer."

Another wrote: "This trip has changed my life. I have a new view, a new purpose to life. This has been the best thing I have done up to now."

WATER IN, WATER OUT

I worked closely with a local I nicknamed "The Laughing Man" because he laughed constantly and was smiling every second that he could. I want to be the type of person who deserves a nickname like that. The laughing man taught me about being the best kind of person in the world by doing nothing but being himself.

- Julia Giraudi, CMB0115

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INDIA

Empowerment comes in many forms. For Nick Foster's team of 11 Softchoice board members who volunteered with host partner Jatan Sansthan, empowerment was the technology they brought to a community centre where anyone can get access to the Internet and the world of information therein. Women, children and youth will particularly benefit from the computer lab they created.

The Softchoice gang participated in a meeting of regional leading women who discussed social issues and presented grievances and challenges faced by the women in their communities. They shared information about education, income, gender and marriage. Despite stark differences, they realized they all want the same thing: a better future for their families and communities. The computers Softchoice set up provide access to knowledge.

Marcia Julian's group of eight volunteers worked with host partner Vimarsh to help build a second storey on a women's shelter. That building will serve abused women in more than 400 villages in northern India, for whom empowerment comes in the programs offered so they can be economically independent. A follow-up trip to complete the building (it will be three storeys when done) was excitedly discussed on the trip back home and was scheduled for some time in 2017, so stay tuned.

EMPOWERMENT IN INDIA

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These kids, full of song, curiosity, smiles, energy, and hope, struggle every day for their rights to just be kids. They want to grow up to be police officers, doctors, engineers, teachers, soldiers, but they need to first find a way to avoid the typical reality that is life for many children in India: Marriage at the age of 10.

I initially feared being stuck in a room by a bunch of kids. Yet these children are scared of losing their rights, hope, freedom and their youth.

This project is all about enabling these kids to unleash their potential by answering questions and providing them with access to information through the Internet and technology. We are here to teach them as much as we can in our short time here; but what they don?t realize is that they?ve also taught me so much about my own reality. - Angela Cope, IND0215

PHILIPPINES

Six dental hygiene students from College of New Caledonia in Prince George, B.C., got three weeks of hands-on experience in Cebu, Philippines, under the team leadership of Heather Mohr.

Developing World Connections host partner Rise Above Foundation Cebu helped link the team up with schools where children were in need of education about maintaining healthy teeth and gums.

They worked hard to teach students proper toothbrushing techniques and distributed toothpaste, toothbrushes and hand soap to 14 schools. Each CNC student would introduce herself to the patient before starting treatment, ensuring any questions were answered beforehand. Individual cleanings took about an hour per patient.

The group also spoke to entire classes about how to brush and why it's important. They saw many kids with a lot of plaque that needed to be removed.

At one of the schools, Mount Olives Christian Academy in Consolacion, Cebu, hundreds of students had their teeth cleaned while getting the hygiene packages to use in following up and maintaining their healthier smiles.

The program the CNC students were involved in is aimed at reducing the number of children suffering from toothaches due to tooth decay. Not only do the schoolchildren learn about brushing and dental care, but so do their teachers, so there can be continuing education long after the CNC team has returned to Canada.

Bad teeth can make children sick and there are school absences attributed to decay and cavities. So the CNC dental hygiene students shared information that will make those schoolchildren healthier and better able to focus on school in addition to reducing the pain associated with dental decay.

A SMILE IS WORTH 1,000 WORDS

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Developing World Connections sent out 168 volunteers on 14 trips to six countries in 2015. They did everything from building schools, latrines, homes and community kitchens to installing eco-stoves and digging water-system trenches.

On the side, some of them climbed Machu Picchu, swam in an Indian wa-terfall or sampled deep-fried tarantulas.

A couple of world events had an impact on DWC's trips in 2015.

First, the Ebola virus that swept parts of Eastern Africa took a toll on the continent as a whole. All of DWC's trips to Africa were negatively im-pacted because of the perception that the virus was spread throughout the entire continent.

Second, the earthquake in Nepal in April 2015 stopped any travel there, although Developing World Connections did send financial aid.

The breakdown of teams in 2015 was as follows: three from high schools,

five custom or corporate and six short-term. Team sizes ranged from five to 20.

This year also marked the tenth anniversary trip of DWC's inaugural expe-rience in Sri Lanka. Several board members made the trip in spring. Sev-eral months later, in November, the entire board and executive director Joshua Molsberry went to Guatemala to install eco-stoves for Light Up Guatemala, hold an eye clinic for our partnership with Clearly and do some construction work with Open Windows.

Participants, team leaders and assistant team leaders gave a total of 14,939 hours of their time in the countries where they volunteered. Back home, more volunteers, board members and golf tournament organizers contributed 757 hours.

In total, DWC's volunteer hours added up to 15,714 - down from 17,763 in 2014, but again, with fewer trips and volunteers, a decrease is to be expected.

VOLUNTEERS

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COUNTRY PARTICIPANTS 2015 PARTICIPANTS 2014

Cambodia 31 17

Guatemala 54 21

India 26 12

Nepal 0 31

Peru 18 47

Phil ippines 8 66

Rwanda 0 21

Sierra Leone 0 4

Sri Lanka 43 3

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATAHere is an overview of our revenue and expenses. Unrestricted donations refers to donations that are not allocated for any particular project. Donations for volunteer trips includes all related funds: program costs, project contributions, in-country costs and flights paid through DWC.

As a Canadian charity, we are held to account by the Canadian Revenue Agency. Our full annual financial statements can be requested at any time.

REVENUE

Special projects

Fundraising

Donations

Total Revenue

EXPENSES

Direct program expenses

Fundraising events

Administration/general

Total Expenses

Surplus (deficiency) of revenue over expenses

STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS 2014

$ 103,170

70,838

723,593

$897,601

$ 783,778

22,975

141,976

$948,729

($51,128)

2015

$ 33,730

263,090

795,197

$1,092,017

$ 761,215

137,698

130,899

$1,029,812

$62,205

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MOMENTS

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MOMENTS

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