Chocolate - one of life's guilty pleasures literally.
Yesterday I read from the Philippine Daily Inquirer that child slavery is very ramphant in cocoa plantations in Ivory Coast. How can this yummy thing promote such an inhumane act? There are certain chocolate companies who purchases from plantations who do not practice fair trade.
Ivory Coast is the world's biggest producer of cocoa beans with over a million cocoa farms and plantations. A British TV documentary,"Slavery," claims 90 percent of Ivory Coast cocoa plantations use slave labour. Most are young men and boys from impoverished areas in Benin, Togo and Mali. They are enticed by traffickers who promise them paid work, housing and an education. Instead, they are sold to Ivory Coast cocoa plantation owners who beat them into submission and offer no pay for grueling, 18-hour days.
The only way these kids can get back at us is the promise of calories in every bite.
I live for 22 "moments" like these:
1. morning-afters
2. Perugina Baci. Ferrero Rocher. Almond Rocha. Mon Cheri. Raisinets. Maltesers. Slave Chocolate (I hope not!)
3. having my nails painted or my hair shampooed
4. finding loose change in purses/bags from my closet
5. finding the pair of a lost earring, etc.
6. SALE sign
7. hearing kids' laughter
8. sunshine/sunset
9. putting my foot on top of a pillow
10. not having to wake up so early in the morning/not using the alarm clock
11. coffee/alcohol whoring with my friends
12. stargazing in the city
13. crying for no reason when I'm so stressed
14. the smell of an imported fashion magazine (they smell so good because of the perfume samples! haha!)
15. seeing an old friend/ex-lover (kidding about the ex-lover part of course!)
16. buying somebody a gift and wrapping it myself
17. COKE moment (when you say "Aaaaaah" after the beverage goes down your throat. Sarap!)
18. sharing dessert with a friend
19. not being called for recitation when you did not study at all
20. girltime bonding/sleepovers
21. hugging like there's no tomorrow
22. meeting strangers bcos they're the most uncomplicated persons on Earth
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