Volume No. 2 Issue No. 51 - Monday August 25, 2008
Project - Cocoa Emancipation: The Launch of Chocolat de la Dominique
Well wishers sample Chocolat de la Dominique.
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In 1976 a 15 year old Dominica Grammar School student heard political legend and national independence hero Rosie Douglas utter these words: "They take our cocoa and send it to England and sell it back to us as Milo and Ovaltine."
Those words resounded then and remained with him. The effect of that verbal volley about our export of raw materials and lack of value adding agricultural industry was to impel Gabriel Christian to change things for the better.
Hence Operation Cocoa Emancipation was born and, with it, Dominica's first local chocolate bar milled with cocoa from the island's Layou Valley.
It was in that vein Project Director of the Alwens Promise Group Gabriel Christian presented the product as a model effort to harness the island's natural resources for national development.
At a recent ceremony in Roseau, marketing director of Alwen's Promise Joan Christian launched the product before a huge crowd of market day shoppers. Among those present were Gregoire Thomas of the Dominica Export & Import Agency (DEXIA), Mayor of Roseau Cecil Joseph, Permanent Secretary of Dominica's Agriculture Ministry Claudia Bellot, Dr. Clayton Shillingford of the Dominica Academy of Arts & Sciences, Dr. Philbert Aaron - Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) Coordinator, Dr. Samuel Christian, Health Tourism Director of the Alwens Group (developers of Alwen's Promise and Chocolat de la Dominique).
The ceremony was blessed by Roman Catholic Priest Reginald LaFleur, followed by the singing of the national anthem. The event was an inspirational moment and manifestation of Dominican industry, entrepreneurship and "can do."
In tribute to Dominica's 30th Anniversary of Independence, the developers hope it will be the first of many agro processing initiatives to boost food production on island. Chocolate bars were presented to the main speakers by Marketing Director Joan Christian who gave the vote of thanks. Many buyers came back to buy bars, as they quickly consumed their initial purchases, so exquisite was the taste.
Chocolate tasting and sales closed out the event which was superbly orchestrated by Mara Abraham of DEXIA. Chocolat de la Dominique, and other efforts at owning and controlling our destiny, is what will imbue our independence with real meaning.
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