Handcrafted for the Holidays!

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When we decided to make holiday gift sets this year, we wanted to include something that really spoke to one of the heartfelt reasons of why we make our chocolate. Yes, an assortment of premium, fine flavor chocolate is a gift in and of itself, but we also wanted to include something without a shelf life that communicated our message, too. We take pride in our high attention to detail and creation of truly great tasting chocolate bars; but we couldn’t craft our premium chocolate without the farmers and communities at origin that are dedicated to making superior quality and fine flavor cacao beans. And, when we talk about our farmers, we don’t just mean the people in the fields growing and harvesting cacao; we also mean their families who support them and inspire them to work hard every day. In the same Coban Alta Verapaz region of Guatemala where we source our Asochivite cacao, 25 women from three indigenous tribes have come together and formed an association so that they, too, can help their families and positively impact their communities. The women of ADIMIL (Asociasion para el Desarollo Integral de la Mujer) lead full lives as wives and mothers in their homes, and in addition, they work together in their spare time to weave and sew handmade textiles. [caption id="attachment_1936" align="aligncenter" width="410"] Romelia and Yolanda from ADIMIL sewing our ornaments[/caption] ADIMIL sells their handmade products, typically to other local communities and through marketplaces, and the incomes that the women earn through this enterprise go directly back to them and their families. They say that, “by efficiently using their economic resources and incorporating their love of tradition and sewing, they can offer a better quality of life for their children, participate in the growth of their community, and make a just world where women are valued.” Through our travels to the region we’ve seen the beautiful hand-woven textiles that the women make, which gave us an idea for this holiday season. With the help of our sourcing partner Cacao Verapaz, we asked ADIMIL to sew 250 holiday ornaments for us. In return, ADIMIL made us gorgeous and vibrant pieces of art, 100% handmade with love and tradition. We are proud to work with the women of ADIMIL and are grateful for their support and contributions to their families and to a more equitable future. Our ornaments definitely help make this season merry and bright! Happy Holidays, from us to you! [caption id="attachment_1787" align="alignnone" width="2700"] This season's Holiday Trio with Handmade Ornament[/caption]

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