Hi,
Thanks for visiting my fundraising page for Stop the Traffik.
On July 19 I will be running a half marathon, 13.1 miles (22kms), to raise money for Stop The Traffik's Chocolate Campaign.
Currently 35% of the worlds cocoa is grown in Cote D'Ivoire where children as young as 9 are harvesting the cocoa used in products we consume every day. These children are not there by choice and are often miles from home having been coerced into travelling with a stranger who then sells them to plantation owners for as little as £80.
The aim of this campaign is to encourage chocolate manufacturers such as Cadburys, Mars, Nestle etc to only buy cocoa that has been ethically sourced, such as Fare Trade cocoa, as this ensures that those working on plantations are free from exploitation and slavery.
The tragedy of using child slaves to harvest cocoa so that we can enjoy a few moments of sugary bliss is one of the most shocking things I have ever read. If we believe that children have the same fundamental rights, regardless of which country they live, and should not be sold into slavery, then we need to think about the effects our actions are having beyond our own shores.
Could you get by without your daily chocolate fix, if it helped to encourage manufacturers into changing the way they source their cocoa?
If you'd like to, you can read more about Stop the Traffiks chocolate campaign here, as well as a short story here
Obviously we've all got something that we're a bit passionate about, and I don't expect everyone to be as into this as I am. But, if this is something you would like to see changed then please sponsor me.
Failing that, if the idea of me hauling my lard butt around a 13 mile course puts a smile on your face then please donate to a worthy cause!
All money raised goes directly to Stop The Traffik.
Thanks
Phil
