Grove English Communication Ⅲ
LESSON 15
Creating a Bright Future Through Chocolate
Many of you like chocolate very much. Chocolate is everywhere in Japan. Besides bars of chocolate, we can enjoy chocolate ice cream, cookies, or cake. Chocolate is so popular that we can’t imagine life without it. It is not surprising that chocolate is the second most sold confectionery product in Japan.
Though we may often enjoy chocolate, many young children are leading a very difficult life in Africa. Chocolate is made from cacao beans, which are mostly produced there. Young children there have to work on cacao farms without going to school.
About 70% of Japan’s cacao beans come from Ghana in Africa, where many children are engaged in cacao harvesting and processing. They suffer from a lack of food and clothes. They wish to go to school and study. They may not know what chocolate is even though they are familiar with cacao trees.
On the bright side, the situation has been getting better since the world became aware of this horrible situation in 2000. In 2009, a Japanese NGO started the SMILE-Ghana Project to help children in Ghana receive a good education. The staff members were trying hard to convince parents of the importance of their children’s education. What is good about this project is that even high school students like you can easily get involved in it. All you have to do is buy chocolate products that support this project. You can lend a helping hand for them to create a bright future.