Monthly Archive for July, 2010

In this feature, Drury University SIFE director Dr. John Taylor comments on the learning experiences of all students involved in the Cocoa Honors project:

The Cocoa Honors team has had an amazing year of work and preparation, and it’s all about to pay off this August. Since last September, the team has worked to understand the Cocoa industry in Africa, learned about chocolate selection and production, and developed a deep understanding of the challenges that come with international trade. In less than two weeks, these efforts are going to culminate in an amazing journey to Tanzania.

In preparation for the trip, the students have been learning as much as possible about the economy, politics and culture of Tanzanian society. They have learned about the country’s customs and traditions, and they are even learning enough Swahili to get around while they’re there! I’m grateful that the SIFE team has had the opportunity to play a role in this program with Askinosie Chocolate: Our members have worked with the students from Central High School to navigate the complex world of international trade and the intricacies of such a large project. I’m eager to learn about the great things that this group of students achieves during their time in Tanzania.

In this feature, Central High School student Jenna Roan discusses how her perspective has changed as the Cocoa Honors project has progressed:

In all reality the moment that I entered the Cocoa Honors program I thought that it was going to be smooth sailing. While I had been informed that this was a once in a lifetime learning experience, I couldn’t manage to get past the difficulty of getting something as simple as cocoa beans from one region of the world to another. I knew I had the skill and dedication to get whatever job I needed to done, but as time treaded on and the workloads grew I soon began to appreciate Askinosie Chocolate much more.  Sometimes people forget in life to pay attention to the quality of the things that surround them.

Jenna and fellow Cocoa Honors students spend a day learning about chocolate-making.

Through all the meetings, skype calls, factory visits, fundraisers, emails, and so on my first impression flipped from smooth sailing to hard work. The meaning of responsibility hit me hard and with that I learned from the experience. I know not only will this program continue to help me grow but also give me something to teach to other generations.

Now when thinking of cocoa honors I don’t only picture helping create a wonderful tasting chocolate. I also see us informing the people in our community about what we’re doing and aiding those in the area we receive our beans from with fresh water. Even though at the beginning of the program I questioned how unique and special this chocolate was to me personally, I soon came to terms with the idea that every bite has its own story to tell and this our story.