13 May 2008

The Kingdom Project

 4060

My church has decided to do a little project/experiment in radical generosity. They have given 12 people $100 each with the instructions to multiply it and use it for good. I am one of the 12 and given my recent emotional outbreak over child slaves in the cocoa industry, I’m going to use my $100 to start raising awareness and funds for the people suffering in Cote d’Ivoire.

We are going to sell cups of fair trade coffee at Farmer’s Markets while educating people about human-trafficking and the cocoa industry. We also will pass out “Chocolate Guides" listing traffic-free chocolate and non-traffic-free chocolate that people can keep in their wallets. I’m hoping to also have some samples of traffic-free chocolate for people to taste.

Then I’m planning to throw a chocolate party using only fair-trade chocolate and we will take up a collection from people who would like to support the cause.

If you would like to help or donate, let me know. We need all the help we can get. In the mean time, only buy fair-trade chocolate and check out these links for more information:

http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/cocoa/chocolatereport05.pdf

http://www.plentymag.com/features/2008/02/sweet_satisfaction.php

http://www.freetheslaves.net/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?pid=183&srcid=-2

http://www.stopthetraffik.org/

6 comments:

Lisa said...

Let me know how I can help ... if I can.

Sorry I haven't responded to you yet (on my hotmail account) ... I've had the flu (boo!).

Much love girlfriend xoxox

Kathleen Talley said...

Jacob (7) says, "Godiva is a very yummy but very bad company that makes little kids work outside with the poisonous snakes and they can die."

marisabutterworth said...

Go Amy! This is so cool. You are making a difference!

Monica Eve said...

Kudos to you! I love learning about people that turn their compassion into action. You are inspiring.

Monica Erskine
Senior Customer Service Rep | ENDANGERED SPECIES CHOCOLATE

This Mama said...

Thank you for posting those links. I had just heard about this for the first time ever a few weeks ago, and I was stunned. I had no idea! Educating people is key. I am going to forward those links to everyone I know.
I don't know if I will be able to help you before I move but I am very interested in what you are doing so that I might emulate it in my new community.

Nicki J. said...

Hi Amy,
You don't know me, however I work with Nadia J. and she advised me to check out your blog and OMG, I am in disbelief! I mean I had learned about Sex Trafficking my senior year of college and did my visual thesis on it. It was absolutely horrendous, the conditions that some women and children are forced to work in and it is literally a modern day form of slavery! I think I cried every time I saw new images or read the material! I have since made a point to educate my friends and family but have always felt there had to be so much more I could do. You are truly an inspiration and I would love to help and donate for both the Cote d'Ivoire fund and the boots for the cocoa farmers. I can be reached at nickidesign@nyc.rr.com.