THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT SUPPORTED THE 8TH ANNUAL CHOCOLATE FOR CONGO

We’re excited to share that we raised $2000 which will be donated to Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI) and Action Kivu. 

The eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has long been plagued with violence but throughout it all, the Congolese people have persevered and shown incredible resilience. We’re so happy that money raised will go to important work that both of these organizations are doing in eastern Congo. The donation to ECI will provide world class clean water and healthcare services for 10 families for a year. Action Kivu said the donation to them will go toward beds to open the boarding house at the Congo Peace School, to provide for the students from surrounding areas whose families are able to pay to send them to this unique school. Their tuition helps cover the majority of the students who attend for free (whose education costs are currently covered by Action Kivu's donors and partners), children who are orphans or whose families cannot afford school fees. The boarding house will take them one more step toward greater sustainability of the school.

This year we had to do things a little differently. Instead of restaurants participating all month long in February, some of Portland’s best bakers and pastry chefs got together and made curated boxes of chocolate baked goods for a one-day bake sale - inspired by Kir Jensen’s past bake sales and the ongoing bake sales put on by PDX Bakers Against Racism. We’re filled with gratitude to all of the bakers that participated this year: Darla Shaffer, Jaclyn Nakashima, Kir Jensen, Lisa Horness, Mary Tanguay, Mason Herbert Suda, Matt Ives (Le Pigeon), Nora Mace (Lazy Susan), Rebecca Powazek (Bees Custom Cakes), Siobhan Speirits (Saint Frances), Tess Patersong, and Lauren Fortgang. All proceeds will go to two organizations working in the Democratic Republic of Congo:

Action Kivu: Partnering with ABFEC, a Congolese owned and operated non-profit, they provide direct assistance to survivors of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo through entrepreneurial training and education projects rooted in peace and equality. They advocate community-based initiatives and sustainable solutions developed by members of the Congolese community that provide pathways for them to be agents for peace as they create a thriving society for all. Action Kivu’s entrepreneurial programs and the Congo Peace School are located in Mumosho, a village outside of Bukavu, the capital city of South Kivu, a region of Congo that borders Rwanda.

Eastern Congo Initiative: Founded in 2010 by Ben Affleck and Whitney Williams, Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI) is wholly focused on working with and for the people of eastern Congo through advocacy, grant-making initiatives and Asili, a social business platform. They envision an eastern Congo vibrant with abundant opportunities for economic and social development, where a robust civil society can flourish. ECI believes that local, community-based approaches are essential to creating a sustainable and successful society in eastern Congo.

Thanks also to Hunt & Gather Catering for allowing us to use their space for the pick up event. If you’re interested in finding out more about this incredible catering company and their new event space, check out their website. 

We’re incredibly grateful to our partner in this event, Theo Chocolate. As a leading organic chocolate maker, Theo Chocolate has proved that you can find success by doing things differently, and that everyone in the bean to bar process can thrive. As of this year, every Theo Chocolate product directly supports the livelihood of over 6,200 cocoa farmers and their 34,000 family members in eastern Congo, enabling them to send their children to school and reinvest in their communities.