Chocolate's Two Sides by Dhaliva Cabrera

Dear chocolate lovers ,

    

     Can you imagine that most of the delicious chocolate you eat has kids of ages 5-18 working for them. One company is Hershey  . These kids work for little or no pay. They don’t get to see their parent’s at all and more than 70% are kidnapped or  “Trafficked” . Would you like for one of your kids to go threw what these kids are going threw ?

   First, a major part of the world that produces child labor is Africa and a major part of Africa that produces chocolate is the Cote d’ Ivory. According to a video by CNN’S freedom project about child labor in cocoa farms most kids haven’t even tasted chocolate. Also, there is research accruing about the trafficking of kids to the Cote d’ Ivory from Mali and Burking a Faso. Also kids are being moved away from their parent’s . As it says in the article “Bitter chocolate” “ The overwhelming majority of respondents moved to cocoa farms without their natural parents or Guardians”  

            Second , most kids go threw abuse in chocolate farms . According to the article “Bitter Chocolate” its states “ Virtually all respondents the worst types of child labor including: verbal,physical,and sexual harassment ,  and restrictions of their freedom  of movement .” Tell me do you approve of this action kids of any age should not be allowed to be abused in any form it affects their self esteem  and it also makes them feel worthless . Their expectations with people change they don’t want get close to people because they feel scared that they will harm them. These actions cause them to go on deep depression which can be hard to cure. Also these kids have to use machetes , they have to carry heavy loads , clear and burn land , and they have to spray pesticides . This causes these children to get diseases such as cancer, asma,skin disease and much more . Also the lack of food given to these children can cause them leukemia which is a cancer caused by lack of food. They can also get anemia and diabetes but this is little for what these kids go threw. They also dress very poorly .

Third, there are many things you can do to prevent this. One is use Fair Trade chocolate. Fair Trade is when companies pay farmers $150 per ton to not use child labor. This is a good pay for farmers compared to what they usually get paid. This helps farmers give their children an education and not live on poverty.

Last, another way you can prevent child labor in cocoa farms is by using Reverse Trick or Treating. “Reverse Trick or Treating” is and effort to raise awareness about child labor in cocoa farms. This means when you go trick or treating and you get candy in return you give the people fair trade chocolate and tell them about the child labor. Also lots of companies especially Hershey gain their money on Valentines Day so you can buy fair trade chocolate on valentines day to help these kids.

In conclusion if you have a kid would you like for them to go threw all of this. Just put yourself in the place of these parents who haven’t seen their kids in a long time and are suffering. And put yourself in the place of these children who are suffering of all sorts of illnesses and tortures. Think twice before buying Hershey or at least think of these kids !

                        Sincerelly,

                          Dhaliva Cabrera