Hi there!

Hi, my name is Santiago Erazo. Let me share a little bit about myself. I was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador. Recently, I moved to Canada to be with my beautiful wife, Samantha. The move was filled with a lot of challenges, opportunities and blessings. I first learned the importance of investing your time and resources in others, especially those experiencing poverty as a youth when my parents decided to move our family to serve and work in a vulnerable community in Quito called Carmen Bajo.

In university, I studied International Relations. Following my studies, I worked for many years in community management for the city of Quito. Today, I have the opportunity to serve and work with an organization called International Teams Canada which is based out of Elmira, Ontario. 

Now that you know a little bit about me, let me tell you about International Teams and the impact that you can make by being part of their vision. The objective of this registered charity organization is to “see lives and communities transformed by the power of God” through partnerships that support locally-led work in Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Canada.

During my time working with International Teams, I will have the opportunity to see the work that the organization does in order to support amazing, locally-led poverty-alleviating initiatives. I am currently based in Guatemala. During my time here, I have had the opportunity to see the work and the impact that one of our partners “Senderos de Luz” has had in a community called Santa Lucia and the surrounding area. I have been able to come alongside Hilmar, the project leader, in the programming, monitoring, and evaluating process. Senderos de Luz provides food for around 40 kids twice per week. They also provide pre-kindergarten classes to kids in the community. As part of the project, there are many different courses offered for youth and adults such as English, cooking, carpentry, art, and sewing. I have had the opportunity to hear first hand stories of how people from the community have been positively impacted through the support and programs provided here at Senderos de Luz. I would love to take the time to share some of these stores with you. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you would like to hear more. This project is just one example of the many projects International Teams supports worldwide. I invite you to be part of this incredible mission. 

In order to keep these programs running as needed, they require funding. In these next six months, I hope to raise $10,000 to support the work of International Teams Canada programs. Your donation has the power to break the circle of poverty by supporting quality education, housing, nutrition, tuition scholarships, vocational training, clean drinking water, leadership development, and spiritual growth programs that seek to transform lives and their communities.

I would like to invite you to be part of these initiatives that are impacting the lives of thousands of people, families, and many communities around the world- would you consider donating to my fundraising campaign today?

If you would like to learn more, do not hesitate to contact me at santiago.erazo@iteams.ca.

How to Give

Online- You are welcome to click on the big blue 'Donate' button on my page or click here.

Cheque- Cheques can be addressed to International Teams Canada (Memo: Forge Santiago Erazo, or Forge Santiago) and mailed to:

International Teams Canada

1 Union St, Elmira, ON N3B 3J9

Cash- Cash donations can be dropped off at our office with donor information included, or handed to me personally, and I will collect your donor info for receipting purposes!

Want to learn more about the work of iTeams? I'll be sharing stories along the way, but in the mean time, visit iteams.ca

Filberto's Coffee

Meet Filiberto, a local Guatemalan farmer, from San Miguel Escobar, who greeted us with a handshake and a big smile. He took us to his coffee farm. It took a while to get to his plot of land, located on the foothills of the Water volcano in Sacatepéquez. Luckily, this bought us some time to hear his story. 

Filiberto, who is turning 71 this month, began cultivating coffee in 2006 (roughly). He has overcome many challenges to get to where he is now. Thanks to God, his business has remained steady. He is now an independent coffee producer and sells his coffee from his home. 

Once we got to his plot of land, he showed us the coffee plants. The beans were mostly green when we arrived, but it was still fascinating to witness. He told us that after production, 100 pounds of coffee from the land is reduced to 13 pounds of coffee ready to sell. To put this into perspective, 1 pound of finalized coffee beans yields roughly 22 cups of quality coffee.

By selling organic and fair-trade coffee, Filiberto supports his family and his loved ones. His work routine starts at 4:30 am until 6:00 am when he finishes toats and packing the grains. 

How you can help 

Now, I want to welcome you into this story by supporting Filiberto and his family, as well as the impactful work that iTeams does worldwide.

For a limited time, until Friday, August 26th, we will be selling 340-gram bags of Filiberto’s coffee beans. Your purchase of this coffee will directly support Filiberto, as well as the charitable activities that iTeams helps with.

Each bag will cost $20 CAD and can be purchased by going to this link (and scrolling down the page on the right-hand side). In addition, all generous donations of $200 or more will include a bag of Filiberto’s coffee. Please help spread the word to your friends and family who also may enjoy coffee and would be willing to help out the cause. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog, it really means a lot to me.

All the bags came in a grain presentation if you want it ground presentation please email me.

If you are using a cellphone, go to perks, and you will find the option to purchase.