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Asknosie Chocolate has partnered with parents of schoolchildren in Davao, Philippines, where many of the students suffer from malnutrition. The Springfield-based manufacturer has just launched a sustainable school lunch program by selling a new product called “Tableya.” KSMU’s Jennifer Moore has detais.
“Tableya” is a traditional Filipino hot chocolate drink made from cocoa tablets. Shawn Asknosie, owner of Asknosie Chocolate, asked the PTA at the Malagos School in Davao, Philippines, if they could make these tablets for him to sell – with all profits going back to the school to pay for lunches.
Here’s how it works: Askinosie buys the units for $1 each, and sells them for $10 each. The $9 of profit goes to Convoy of Hope, which happens to have a warehouse near the school. Askinosie says if he sells 500 units he has now, it will feed the entire elementary school for a whole school year. Every time someone buys one unit of Tableya, it results in 232 hot meals of fortified soy rice, according to Askinosie.
The teachers at the school will measure the height, weight, arm circumference and attendance of each child throughout the year to monitor the success of the project.
For KSMU News, I’m Jennifer Moore.