Greenhouse

”THIS IS SO CLOSE TO MY HEART AND MAKES ME REALLY HAPPY THAT WE CAN HELP THE WOMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES WITH OUR GREENHOUSES. TO ME FAMILY IS VERY IMPORTANT, AND I KNOW WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO THESE FAMILIES.”

BIRGITTE GOSVIG HANSEN, SALES COORDINATOR AT SIMPLY CHOCOLATE

PAYBACK TIME

In a greenhouse in a cocoa village near San Pédro in The Ivory Coast, a group of local women are growing vegetables and fruit. But they are also growing a new future. In addition to ensuring the women a more stable income, the produce is served as lunch in the local school, making sure the children get a good meal and more energy for their education. The greenhouse project is one of the many ways Simply Chocolate—and you— are giving back to the cocoa farmers and their families.

The plants in the greenhouse are already sprouting. The produce serve two purposes; firstly they are meant to supply the local women a second source of income besides the cocoa beans, secondly they are to ensure better nutrition for the children in the local school.

A new role for the women

The greenhouse project is run by the local women who have all received training in making the production run smoothly. They have learnt about growing and maintaining plants, seasonal plants, bookkeeping, trade and development of new markets. In this way the project also ensures a new independence for the women, carving out a more significant role in the villages—an important step towards a better future for African nations.

A green school with great energy

Not all vegetables are sold—part of the fresh produce are delivered to the kitchen in the local school. Here they’ll supply students with a great meal, resulting in long-lasting energy fit for a long day in front of the blackboard, a long-term way to increasing the level of education amongst the village children.