Educate to End Child Labor Today
One Chocolate Bar at a Time
It's as easy as this!
Now you've learned about child labor in the cocoa industry and are aware of current events pertaining to this issue! It's up to you to decide what to do with this knowledge. You can chose to leave this site and ignore this pressing issue, or spread the word because all you need is your brain and your voice. Here is a simple list of things you can do throughout the year:
1. Educate yourself on slavery While my work deals with the issue of child labor in the Ivory Coast, it all relates to the bigger concept of slavery in the US. Educating yourself about the US's history and slavery can allow everyone to better understand the conditions these children still face and the implications this has on human rights and the overall well-being of their people. Check out this Anti-Slavery Manuscript Community Service project with the Boston Public Library through Zooniverse to help out and take action against slavery in general. https://www.antislaverymanuscripts.org/classify
2.Reverse trick-or-treating On Halloween instead of receiving candy, show up at your neighbor's door and give them fair trade chocolate as well as a flyer with information about the issue. This spreads awareness about companies such as Nestle and Hershey's and how their chocolate beans have come from a result of child labor. This started in 2006, and if you decide to do this, you're carrying on a legacy for change. Tip: feel free to do this any time of year, if you feel more comfortable and don't be afraid to speak up! click here for more info
3. Inform school lunches If your school has items on a lunch or even breakfast menu that you know come from companies sued for tracing their cocoa beans back to farms that use child labor, speak up and ask your principal or superintendent to fix your school's ways. If your school gets involved and spreads the word, imagine how many other schools may follow.
4. Find child labor free/fair trade chocolate companies in your area If you feel that after learning about this, you don't feel ready to eat child labor chocolate, try an alternative. While it may be more expensive, this is an indirect way to helping the cause by promoting companies that are doing taking the right actions! Similar to Dandelion and TCHO chocolate, find companies near your neighborhood that you can interview or even suggest stores to start selling less child labor chocolate, and instead fair trade chocolate. This way, people shopping on a day to day basis, will start buying the best kind of chocolate. Ayn Riggs also has a list of companies that support this cause on her website. There is a link to her website under the podcast interview.