Our 2016 Chocolate University Class just departed for their 10 day visit to rural southwestern Tanzania!
This outstanding group of 14 high school students from Greene & Christian counties is accompanying Shawn Askinosie and our Executive Director of Chocolate University/Chief Kinship Officer on a trip to meet with our farmer partners, inspect our next crop of cocoa beans, share profits, lead a chocolate tasting with farmers, facilitate a farmer co-op strategic plan and more.
They’ll also engage in several community development projects they helped create throughout this year. They will lead a “Vision of Greatness” writing session for the 200 young women in the Empowered Girls club we fund at Mababu Primary School. While there the group will also institute an Enlightened Boys club, for whom they will also teach a Visioning session. Additionally, they will visit widow and orphan homes to install sack gardens enabling an ongoing supply of fresh produce.
The students will work alongside Askinosie Chocolate’s farmer partners throughout the week and spend time in their homes, helping to harvest cacao and getting to know their families.
Last week, the students arrived at Drury University for an immersive 5-day training, where they delved even further into the Askinosie business model, Tanzanian culture and Swahili, cocoa, and leadership courses to prepare them for the work they’ll be doing in Tanzania.
