America. But South.

I did a photo shoot for all of Kallari's
products. This is a picture of one of their
artisanal chocolates and cocoa beans.

My first month in Ecuador has been nothing short of amazing. I am blessed to be here with an incredible group of people, I have an extremely welcoming host family, and once again am fortunate to be in an internship that I love! Now that I have an idea of what I am interested, aka social enterprises, I looked for social business to intern with while in Ecuador this semester. 

My professor ended up placing me with Kallari, a fair-trade chocolate and coffee cooperative. While Kallari’s headquarters in the town of Tena, where the work with indigenous groups to grow and produce the products, they have a café in town where I am working as their marketing and events coordinator. First of all, if you know me then you know I love to plan. Having the opportunity to plan their events has allowed me take ownership of several projects and help bring in revenue for the organization. 

The first event I organized was a chocolate tasting where we paired four of Kallari’s artisanal chocolate with four locally made artisanal alcohols. While it was stressful and chaotic the event was a hit! I was so awesome to see the staff at the café so excited and proud that they had pulled it off. While there is a significant language barrier and it’s not always easy for us to communicate I understand how appreciative they are for the work I’m doing and they have welcomed me in with open arms. All of the people that work in the café are members of the indigenous community in Tena, so it’s cool to see how the organization is employing this community and functioning as a whole. 

I also am having the chance to get to know these people on a personal level, last weekend was the annual chocolate fair in Ecuador and 

Me with all of my coworkers at the chocolate fair in Tena

it happens in Tena. Everyone wanted me to come and see the event and one of my coworkers insisted that I stay with her family! Every time I travel I’m amazed at the ability to make connections with people with out language, and how humbling it is to be welcomed into someone’s home. Working with this organization is not only a great opportunity for me to gain real skills and understand how a social enterprise works, but also get to know the people that the enterprise benefits and see how it effects their lives.