chocolate for congo RETURNS FOR A 10TH YEAR

For the entire month of February, 2023, 14 Portland-area restaurants and bakeries will feature chocolate desserts and pastries to benefit the people of eastern Congo for the 10th annual Chocolate for Congo. $1 from each mouth-watering dessert at participating businesses will benefit Action Kivu and Eastern Congo Initiative - non-profits investing in the women, children and communities of eastern Congo. Theo Chocolate, who now sources 100% of its chocolate from the Congo, has generously donated the chocolate for the benefit. Desserts are available all of February throughout Portland. 

The 2023 Chocolate for Congo will feature these participating restaurants and bakeries:

Arden - Cafe Olli - Canard - Coquine
Dame - Dolly Olive - Le Pigeon - Lil’Shalom
Mediterranean Exploration Company - Ox -
Pie Spot - Shalom Y’all - Yalla

Our partner, Theo Chocolate is a leading organic and fair trade chocolate maker., Theo has proven 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 products directly support the livelihood of over 7,692 cocoa farmers and their 69,228 family members in eastern Congo, enabling them to send their children to school and reinvest in their communities. By sourcing organic and fair trade certified cocoa beans from farmers, Theo invites people to discover a better world through chocolate.

Driven by the belief that locally-lead approaches are the key to a brighter future, Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI) works shoulder to shoulder with communities in Congo as they build health, freedom, and prosperity for life. By supporting women and entrepreneurs and prioritizing innovation, dignity, and long-term vision, ECI catalyzes lasting change. 

Through collaborative grantmaking, ECI works with partners in North and South Kivu to build their capacity and eliminate barriers. ECI’s revolutionary social enterprise, Asili, provides self-sustaining high-quality water, healthcare, and energy services. The organization’s work in advocacy increases international attention to the region while its dedication to private partnerships increases Congo’s access to foreign markets for crops like cacao and coffee. 

In the past year, ECI has provided 58 million litres of water, supported over 1,000 survivors of rape and gender-based violence, and invested in over 300 female entrepreneurs.

Action Kivu partners with ABFEC, a Congolese owned and operated non-profit. They provide direct assistance to survivors of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo through projects including the Congo Peace School, entrepreneurial training, and regenerative farming rooted in sustainable living, 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. Their entrepreneurial programs and the Congo Peace School are located in Mumosho, eastern Congo.

Led by Action Kivu’s Founding Director Amani Matabaro, the Congo Peace School is a one-of-a-kind school serving 523 students, providing a life changing education rooted in peace and nonviolence. It is a place of healing in a country decimated by war and corruption, where vulnerable children are fed nutritious daily meals and supported by trauma-informed staff. It is an investment in a peaceful future, where students learn computer skills in a lab powered by solar energy, and receive training in sustainable agriculture. It is a model for gender equity and equality, where girls and boys enroll in equal numbers, teachers receive equal pay, and students learn together about the rights of women and girls. It is a revolutionary school in a post-colonial country, providing the space and resources for students to foster their curiosity and ask questions, forming their own theories, and receiving the tools to make this vision of peace a reality.

For more information, visit Chocolate for Congo’s page on our website or contact us at info@neveragaincoalition.org