Monthly Archive for January, 2010

A Student’s Perspective: Kiefer Mecham

Published on January 31, 2010 in Chocolate University. 0 Comments

Cocoa Honors’ Kiefer Mecham gives insight to what the students are learning on a daily basis with Askinosie Chocolate:

Cocoa Honors has been a hugely productive learning experience for everyone involved.  We are learning to enhance our teamwork abilities, to communicate in the business world, and even more important, we are learning the trade and industry of chocolate production.  I don’t think any of us knew that the program assembled at the beginning of September would give us this much knowledge.

When we commenced in September of 2009, a shy group of fourteen Central students and five Drury SIFE members sat in a small room at Drury University.  There we introduced ourselves and expressed our ambitions for this two-year program.  For the past five months, we have come to know and respect each other.  We are working ever so closely on projects that we never even dreamed we utmost respect for one another.

In addition to our fruitful collaboration, the effects of our numerous projects are even more worthwhile.  In the past few months, we have contacted foreign countries, begun to meet with local corporations, and make travel plans for our eventual trip to Africa.  We have learned about the history of cocoa production and the technicality behind its production today.  We have even experienced the “messier” side of things in the chocolate industry, by spending a day packaging the chocolate ourselves.  In the coming months, we will engage in hands-on activities with our new batch of chocolate that will teach us even more.

The program is providing us with new situations everyday.  It is teaching us how to professionally deal with associates.  It is teaching us both the up and down sides of a business.  We are growing closer and closer together and are immersing ourselves in an opportunity of a lifetime.  This enterprise is giving us insight into the chocolate industry in addition to a grasp of philanthropy.  Thanks to Cocoa Honors and Chocolate University, we will emerge as more knowledgeable and experienced individuals.

Guest Blogger: Advisory Board Member Dr. Chris Craig

Published on January 30, 2010 in Chocolate University. 0 Comments

Bringing new perspective to the Cocoa Honors Project is Advisory Board Member Dr. Chris Craig, Director of the School of Education and Child Development at Drury University:

Of all the projects I have been involved with in my life as a professional educator, the projects involving Central High School and Pipkin Middle School have been some of the most interesting and worthwhile. I very much appreciate the partnership with Shawn Askinosie and believe that the Chocolate University and Cocoa Honors have brought something special to the lives of students and teachers in center city and Drury University is pleased to be a part of the dream. I have pledged financial support for my education major to participate in the work in Africa, and look forward to learning more about how the School of Education and Child Development may be able to help with this and other business ventures.

Friday Feature: The Reason Within

Published on January 29, 2010 in Chocolate University. 0 Comments
This post represents the first in our new series, “Friday Feature.”  Each week students will share their perspectives on the overall effect of the Cocoa Honors project as well as their own personal connections.  Brianne Schuchmann, a Drury University SIFE student, recently traveled to Africa and shares her thoughts on the impact of her trip:

Over Christmas break, I traveled to Kenya with my parents. Through my travels I was able to see Africa from every angle; from the modernized cities to the middle of the jungle. I cannot even begin to explain how beautiful the country is. Everything is much more scenic in Africa, from the detailed markings on each animal to the unbounded, bright blue sky. Not only did I get to witness the indescribable beauty of the country, but, I also got to see the way that the people of Africa live.

Brianne visits with local children during her stay

Brianne visits with local children during her stay in Africa

Although beautiful, Africa offers a very limited supply of technology and modernization. Many people live in small shacks that most Americans would not even find suitable to use as a tool shed. These shacks do not have electricity, are poorly insulated and have no running water.

Women and children are forced to walk miles just to gather enough water to drink for one day. The water often comes from rivers and is not purified in any way leaving bacteria and disease in it making it extremely detrimental to the health of those consuming it. Women spend from dawn to dusk gathering sticks so that they have a way to cook food for that day, leaving them no time to accomplish anything else.

There are few doctors and very little access to medical technology and treatments. Children are losing sight due to flies landing on their eyes and having no way to wash the disease out because there is no clean water. People live off pennies a day and are offered very little chance to ever improve their lifestyle.

This trip opened my eyes to the world around me and made me so much more appreciative of what I have. Through my studies, I have read about the importance of fair trade and profit sharing, but I never fully grasped how important it was until my trip to Africa. Profit sharing allows farmers to have access to medical care, clean water, safe housing and education for their children. The things that we take for granted every day of our lives are things that many people in Africa can only dream about having.

I have never been so proud to be involved with a project that could change so many lives. Cocoa Honors will not only change the lives of those farmers that we will profit share with, but it is teaching all of us involved how important fair trade and profit sharing is and how greatly it can affect the lives of so many people involved.

Crunch Time for Chocolate

Published on January 23, 2010 in Central High School, Drury University and Projects. 0 Comments

It’s certainly crunch time for the members of Cocoa Honors and things seem to finally be coming together after a rather lengthy stalemate.  This week, the Business Team and the Communications Team attended a joint meeting on Tuesday in order to discuss and finalize a Donor Packet which is to be distributed to possible donors.  In addition, the Business Team came up with a power point presentation that describes our mission and will be presented to possible sponsors by two Central student representatives from Cocoa Honors.  The only problem was that we were unable to come up with exact financial figures for the donors to observe.  This was soon resolved the next day at the group meeting, when the Business Team released the most up-to-date quotes from Great Southern.  To conclude the meeting, the group accomplished some “clean-up” and made sure that roles were made clear for everybody.  Though we are feeling the heat, Cocoa Honors is on its way to accomplishing its goal.

A Tanzanian Connnection

Published on January 20, 2010 in Central High School, Drury University and Projects. 0 Comments

On December 17 the Cocoa Honors students were able to make a Skype call half-way around the world and speak with Hillary Miller-Wise, the director of TechnoServe activities in Tanzania. TechnoServe is an organization which provides help to businesses disadvantaged by locale and income. Its Tanzania branch aids small businesses in five industries in that country (cocoa, coffee, cotton, tea, horticulture). Ms. Miller-Wise provided information about the system in Tanzania by which cocoa is sold. In Tanzania, cocoa, after being grown by the farmers, is sold to primary buyers who then move the cocoa to the exporters. However, sometimes the primary buyers take advantage of the farmers and do not pay them nearly as much as the cocoa is worth; TechnoServe is trying to address this information disparity to promote fair trade in Tanzania. The situation is so tragic that many farmers have never even tasted finished chocolate, the fruits of their labor. Ms. Miller-Wise, through her experience with the cocoa industry, was also able to share important knowledge about the quality of the beans in Tanzania. She said that the typical harvest season was mainly between February and July. (Sometimes cocoa is available as early as January or as late as August, but that cocoa is generally of lower quality because it is harvested too early or late.) Finally, Ms. Miller-Wise informed the students that travel was likely to be highly inexpensive inside of Tanzania, which is certainly a bonus.