Although Chocolopolis doesn't have a tip jar, the occasional customer will insist on leaving a little something on the counter. For years that change has been slowly accumulating in a Dixie cup while we wondered what to do with it.
Finally our coins collection reached critical mass, and we decided to use our change for change. The microlending website Kiva gave us the opportunity to turn our tips into a loan to an entrepreneur in a developing country. We couldn't find any cacao farmers or chocolate makers in the directory of borrowers, but we did find Juana (above), a Nicaraguan confectioner who hopes to expand her fudge-making business. Juana will use her loan to improve her production and distribution capabilities, then use her increased profits to repay her loan--which we can then re-lend to another entrepreneur.
If you're one of those who told us to "keep the change," we hope that you'll approve of our choice. Thanks so much for helping us to help others.
And go, Juana, go!
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