ZENSHO ACTION

Zensho 's initiatives through food

A new cafeteria and playground equipment are being built at a primary school in Peru!

2018.11.30

For the smiles of children.

Zensho has been conducting fair trade in cocoa in Peru since 2011. Partnering with local cocoa food manufacturers, the company aims to promote organic farming, preserve traditional cocoa varieties (Criollo), support the economic independence of producers, and help local children grow up healthy.

As part of this initiative, we are using social development costs ^* to construct and renovate cafeterias and playgrounds at kindergartens and elementary schools near our local partners' cocoa bean collection points in Peru, across 37 locations.

* social development costs... This refers to the portion of the raw material purchase price that is allocated to various life improvement activities needed by local people.

This time, members of Zensho 's Fair Trade Department attended the completion ceremony. It was held at an elementary school with an attached kindergarten in one of the cocoa producing areas, and they were warmly welcomed by the children and their parents.

This school has 62 students, ranging in age from 5 to 12, 17 of whom are children of cocoa producers.

After the completion ceremony, representatives from Zensho enjoyed lunch prepared by the parents on lunch duty together with the children.

Before this cafeteria was completed, school lunches were cooked outdoors and eaten in classrooms, which was far from a hygienic environment for the children. The completion of the cafeteria with a hygienic kitchen has been a welcome development not only for the children but also for their parents.

Furthermore, the installation of a covered playground next to the cafeteria means that children can now play to their heart's content without worrying about strong sunlight or rain.

This area features swings, a slide, and a bridge connecting two towers.

On the day of the completion ceremony, the sounds of children's laughter echoed as they played on the playground equipment.

During the visit, the children actively spoke to the group from Zensho, making it a meaningful time for everyone involved in this social development support—the producers, the children of the local community, and us Zensho employees—to meet and interact face-to-face.