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Have a Divine International Women’s Day!

Courtney Lang February 13, 2011

By Guest Blogger Amanda White of Divine Chocolate USA

March 8, 2011 marks International Women’s Day and in honor of the occasion, Divine Chocolate is celebrating the incredible women cocoa farmers of Kuapa Kokoo.  We’re working with the Fair Trade community around the country to offer an exciting opportunity to support our women farmers while enjoying a bar of Divine Chocolate!

Another Reason Women Think Chocolate is Divine

Kuapa Kokoo is a farmer’s cooperative of 45,000 members who supply the cocoa for each bar of Divine.  The role of women in Kuapa Kokoo is significant- from their participation in all levels of decision making, their advancement in leadership roles (including having a woman president of the farmers’ union), and Kuapa’s commitment to the economic empowerment of women.

The women of Kuapa Kokoo are trained in small business enterprises such as batik and soap making and the raising of crops for sale in the local market.  The women can then borrow from the credit union to make their business operational, allowing for additional income to be earned for the family in the off season.

Economic empowerment not only equips women with the resources they need to provide for their families, it increases their influence in their family and communities.  As many Kuapa Kokoo women have said, participating in the women’s groups gives them a tremendous sense of pride.

$1 Off for You, Investment for Women Farmers

Beginning on International Women’s Day and continuing through the spring, we will be encouraging chocolate lovers to treat themselves to a bar of Divine by using our special $1 off coupons.

For every coupon redeemed, Divine will invest an additional amount of money into Kuapa Kokoo’s Women’s Fund – to help increase the resources available to women cocoa farmers and ensure that even more women’s groups can participate.

We are asking supporters of Divine to join us in sharing this unique opportunity with your friends, family, and community so that everyone can celebrate the women farmers of Kuapa Kokoo.

Specifically, you can:

•           Help distribute coupons at stores that carry Divine Chocolate as well as other fair trade hubs in your community

•           Use your online networks to distribute the e-version of the $1 off coupon

•           Create a campaign with the support of Divine around the celebration of women that work hard to keep produce the chocolate that your town loves

•           Hold an event  with the support of Divine around International Women’s Day and this year’s theme of Pathways to Decent Work for Women

Email Amanda White at Amanda@divinechocolateusa.com to learn how you can get involved.

2 Comments

  1. Hello I would like to learn more about this event and how I can help. I live in Gig Harbor, WA and am willing to either hand out coupons and direct where to purchase bar.

    Thank You

    Linda Melnyk - 13 years ago

  2. Hi Linda,
    Thanks so much for your interest in the Divine Chocolate Women’s Campaign. Please send me an email (amanda@divinechocolateusa.com)with your contact information, and I’ll follow up with information on how to get involved.

    With Care,
    Amanda

    Amanda @ Divine - 13 years ago

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Courtney Lang, National Organizer | Fair Trade Campaigns

Courtney Lang brings over 5 years of community organizing to Fair Trade Towns USA, building both the Local Food and Fair Trade networks in Vermont. As Local Food Coordinator with City Market/Onion River Cooperative, Courtney worked with local producers, institutions and consumers to grow the local food system and organize a strategic model for community engagement through farm tours, workshops, and local food challenges. Like many in the Fair Trade industry, Courtney was inspired to take action in Fair Trade when she witnessed child-labor first hand in Costa Rica. As a founding member of Fair Trade Burlington, she has worked with economic development organizations, businesses, and consumers to build awareness of Fair Trade among Vermonters. She also worked with a Fair Trade USA licensee, Vermont Coffee Company, as Friend Ambassador where she united the story of Fair Trade to every purchase of coffee.