A couple of weeks ago, my friends Melinda and Laurie and I were invited to tour a chocolate factory. Laurie said she felt like she had found the golden ticket.
I had no idea what we were really going to see that day but I felt like I had found the golden ticket myself after hearing the mission of this amazing company.
It was more of a small chocolate kitchen but what was happening inside was anything but "small". We wore our hair nets and got to see the whole process and hear the story behind the chocolate.
Rick Boosey, the owner of Kyya chocolates, shared with us a very interesting career trail that included working for Microsoft in silicon valley to owning a local restaurant that helped fight hunger. But it was a few years ago, when he spent time working in an orphanage in Uganda that his life was changed. He knew he wanted to do something that mattered.
He had learned that Uganda's crops included coffee, cotton and chocolate (or cacao). He decided to look into doing something with chocolate. He's an engineer and a smart business person and he knew how to export strategically and found he could cut out several middle men and go and find local farmers in countries that produced cacao and offer them better than fair trade. So far he has bought cacao beans from farmers in Ecuador, Uganda, Madagascar and Dominican. His next country to enter is Haiti but he has a dream to work with 80 countries.
Not only is he helping the farmer's but his biggest dream and goal is to be able to share the gospel as he works with farmers in these countries. And he gives a portion of his profits to do work in each country - whether to orphanages or hunger.
You know that episode of I love Lucy where Lucy and Ethel work in a chocolate factory? Yeah - that's sort of what it's like to let Laurie and I loose making chocolate.
The chocolate bars are amazing. There are a lot of varieties and they sell them in 75 different stores and coffee shops across the midwest. They also sell online. My favorite is a coffee infused one. But there is also one with coconut that is DELICIOUS.
This is Rick and his family. Their four daughters are adopted. They have a heart for adoption as well as for all people around the world. I was SO inspired after spending just an hour with them. They have just dedicated their lives to helping others and sharing Jesus.
Celebrate Arkansas even did a feature on what they are doing!
I would love for you to experience this amazing chocolate and at the same time help farmers across the world and support orphanages. And the chocolate bars make a perfect gift for the people in your lives, teachers, friends, or just yourself!
Chocolate for a Cause - I would say that's something pretty amazing!
Use the discount code "blogger" at checkout and get 13% off 6 bars or more plus free shipping!
