I always enjoy reading about hard working Lateenos who reach for bigger dreams and take advantage of the opportunity to do so. Over in Ecuador in the middle of the Amazon rain forest of all places, there lives the Quichua people who grow cacao among other commodities. A few years ago the Quichua harvested and prepped the cacao beans and made $.20 cents a pound for a product that was in high demand. The Quichua weren't happy with the pay and realized they could be making alot more if they only new how to better refine the cacao. With help from an unexpected source they were able to eliminate the middleman and began learning the ways of producing their own chocolate, which eventually led to the creation of Kallari (Kai-yah-ri). According to the Quichua people the word has two meanings, "to begin,"and "the early times." As they learned to improve their process and make a better product they were able to market their chocolate to stores like Whole Foods, and the Swiss chocolate company Felchin. Though the new direction is chocolate the Quichua still sell the cacao beans, and instead of the $.20 cents a pound they were making before they are now making $1.95 a pound.The Kallari people have taken bold steps but to them it is well worth it. From farmers to chocolate producers the Quichua people have built a dream into reality and remain optimistic in their plans to have their very own chocolate factory within the next few years. "There was a dream that seemed impossible now we believe there are so many possibilities open to us." We wish them the best and believe we are all destined for greatness, no matter if we are far off in the jungles of the Amazon or in the United States. Lateenos 2009 is our year.
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