Empowering communities

Child labour remains a major issue in the cocoa supply chain. It occurs mostly on family-owned farms in rural communities.

What Cocoa Horizons does

Cocoa Horizons works on enabling systemic and lasting change to protect children and safeguard human rights.

Cocoa Horizons deploys several key activities, all aimed at creating safer and more empowered communities.

Identification and remediation of child labour cases	Cocoa Horizons child labor monitoring and remediation efforts now reach 99% of farmer communities. This significantly increases the capacity to identify cases and provide necessary support.
Awareness and education programs	Awareness-raising sessions targeted at farmers and community members educate on the importance of child rights and the long-term benefits of keeping children in school.
Provision of school kits and birth certificates	Communities are supported in addressing child labor, with a focus on key remediation actions such as securing birth certificates and providing educational support, including bridging classes and school supplies.
Strengthening community support systems	Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) serve as platforms for financial empowerment and community-led development. Members can pool savings and raise resources to create their own business or fund household needs like school fees. Through financial independence, women are empowered to make decisions that affect their children and build resilience. A significant portion of the savings and loans are directed towards improving children's welfare.
Gender and social sensitization	This initiative aims to promote gender equality and empower women to take active roles in community and family decision-making, directly impacting children's wellbeing.

371	village Savings and Loan Associations established.
71%	members of VSLAs are women.
6.176	cases of child labor were identified and 8405 cases are being remediated.
2.016	children no longer in child labor.