So I just need to say first off that we received enough funding through donations and a clean energy grant from the U.S. so we don't need any more donations. Thanks. And thanks President Obama for proving a new solar panel unit for our artisan group!
To the Organization, University, or Individual that is willing to take the challenge,
To the Organization, University, or Individual that is willing to take the challenge,
My name is Adam Armstrong and I am a Volunteer with the United States Peace Corps in Panama and this is an open appeal for your help with a chocolate production project I'm working on in a small indigenous village located in the heart of the jungle and cacao farms of Bocas del Toro, Panama. I have been living in this small village as a Volunteer with the Peace Corps for about 9 months now, and since I have been here we have successfully created a product and developed a market for our native style chocolate and it is selling faster than previously anticipated. As of right now our artisan group of cacao farmers and craft makers roast, peel, and grind all of the cacao by hand to make our chocolate products. As you might imagine, this takes a long time and after spending countless back breaking hours working in the cacao farms, it is hard to spend so many more hours away from the family creating the chocolate. Here you can view some pictures of some of our group and the eco-tour we are now starting to conduct in the community. http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.196860087001431.42750.196669717020468
The Challenge
Our chocolate artisan group is looking for a way to use basic machinery to help with the processing of our chocolate. As we are newly organic certified, we would like to use processes that use renewable energy or that can be done by hand or foot. This could include technologies such as solar panels hooked up to an electric motor that runs a grinder ( please look here to see the grinders we use: http://i01.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/303760437/manual_grinder_cast_iron_grinder_hand_grinder.jpg). Or this could also be a simple machine that helps us toast the cacao, a separate machine that can break the cacao, and then another that separates the cacao from the shell (you can see here how we crack the cacao currently: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LuU7fqBM7k).
Keep a few key things in mind while you consider this challenge. First, not all tools and materials are available in Panama, and especially in Bocas del Toro, although Panama City is experiencing an economic boom and could offer opportunities for good alternatives to some tools and materials if the desired piece cannot be found. We already have local contacts for reasonably priced solar panel systems and the artisan group currently uses a small solar system so people can work at night. Also keep in mind that at this point in time we are not looking for machinery that would make refined chocolate such as a conching machine (http://www.chocolatealchemy.com/conchingrefining.php). We currently process our chocolate by grinding our cacao using a hand grinder, making it into a liquor at which point we harden the product and sell it or combine it with milk and sugar to sell as native chocolate. Here is a video that shows how a local American has rigged a motor up to a grinder (with solar power). ): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GycZiDj99Bg
Funding
After an appropriate and sustainable plan has been developed, I will work with community members and other staff in the Peace Corps to write a grant proposal seeking funding. If you, your organization, or group has funding available or know of funds available we would also be interested. Our artisan group also has been setting aside some money from all of our chocolate sales to use for this project ensuring that the people here also take ownership of the project. We have access to many materials that are locally available (and free) including wood and we have already received a few bike donations that can be used for parts. If you or your organization would like to come to our community and work with us with this project we will provide your food, water, lodging and an adventure for free. Depending upon the size of the grant we are able to get for this project, we may be able to write in local transportation costs as well. International transportation costs should be considered the responsibility of the organization or individual. Ultimately, we would like to keep the grant proposal at or around $5,000 to increase our chances of securing the funding. We have determined that a solar panel system that is capable of handling a good sized motor will cost us around $2,500 which would leave us another $2,500 for the implementation of the project.
About the Community
The native community here is comprised of 100% Gnabe Indigenous people whom have been farming cacao in Bocas del Toro for nearly 80 years. Most of the farmers rely on the sale of cacao beans to the local co-op as their sole source of income. In the low production season an entire family will live on anywhere from $1-$2 a day. In the high production season (which only lasts for 4 months of the year) a family will live on about $4 a day. By creating products that add value to the basic cacao beans, we have started to change this. Historically, one pound of cacao that is sold to the co-op in the city sells for about $1.30. Once we have processed the cacao beans, through toasting and shelling or grinding, that same pound is worth $12 to the farmer. By increasing production, but not increasing the amount of time to actually produce it, there is a possibility to sustainably and significantly increase income generation for over 26 families with a combined 150 people affected. Our group also splits all the profits from chocolate production to benefit the education of group members as well as a no questions asked emergency health fund, and a fund that allows the group to reinvest in their business.
We are looking for someone to stay in the community until the project is completed, which could be anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks but if this is not an option just simple design help using e mail correspondence would be highly appreciated. Bocas del Toro has many beautiful sites to see and if you do accept our challenge I would be happy to direct you in the right direction of some of the better things to do and see as well.
Here are some additional links that show the process of making chocolate we use now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxO5pV1UpK8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSBxQtLbL_s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS3wKMNx3vc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfkiLPBddsM
Sincerely,
Adam Armstrong
Peace Corps Panama
Community Economic Development
Bocas Del Toro
694-292-71
Californiaadam @ yahoo.com (delete the spaces between the @ sign)
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