Impact Update: Fair Trade Development Funds
Posted by Theo Chocolate on Nov 7th 2023
University Bilingue de Watalinga
Fair Trade Development Funds at Work
As a company rooted in chocolate, cocoa beans are more than an ingredient. Our cocoa beans, and the lives they touch, are at the heart of our business.
With every ton of cocoa we purchase, Theo contributes to Fair Trade Development Funds which are reinvested in the communities who produce the cocoa beans. The Watalinga Cocoa Farmers Association determines how to use these funds to best support their community. Projects supported by the fund have inclued health centers, a maternity unit, school improvements, and equipment purchases.
The University Bilingue de Watalinga, established in Nobili, Democratic Republic of Congo, was another project funded by the Fair Trade Development Funds invested in Watalinga. This past summer, our trading partner Esco, visited the University, and shared an update.
As of 2023, the University has 55 students, and continues to grow each year as the students and everyone involved take their studies seriously. Courses focus on economy and management, agronomic sciences with a focus on cocoa, and psychology and education. Through the program, several students have also been sent to Cameroon to pursue additional education and degrees.
Learn more about the Fair Trade Development Funds and other projects in our annual Impact Report.