How Some Chocolate Bars Helped A Small Business in Nigeria

Never did I imagine that a sweet chocolate bar could pave the way for hundreds of families in Bauchi State, Nigeria to escape the crime and injustices which plague their communities.

In my efforts to help small business owners in Nigeria secure their livelihood through the Leadership Initiatives program, I spent months learning about my business partner- from their passions and sales to family and traditions. But the conversation is never without the discussion of the crime, inequality, and fear that their communities face. I listen as my partner despairingly talks about the dangers that SARS and Boko Haram pose for their lives and future. These were some of the liveliest individuals I had ever met. It would be a crime not to address the diseases that threatened to break the community.

My team raised money each year, primarily through the sale of one-dollar chocolate bars, to help advocate for these victims of human rights violations and injustice. We would spend hours going door-to-door in our neighborhoods and carrying heavy boxes of chocolate day-after-day at school, trying to sell out and raise enough money. With these fundraisers, we spread awareness through social media, emails, and by word-of-mouth.