Foundation

Here at The Big Yum we’re passionate about food, but having travelled extensively, we are acutely aware that not everyone is as fortunate when it comes to having enough to eat!

We’re only a small organisation (so far!) but we believe everyone can do their own bit towards helping others, which is why we have set up The Big Yum Foundation, to receive a donation from EVERY product sold by The Big Yum.

We intend to help a wide range of charities and foundations across the world, including feeding programmes and relief projects.

Our first partnership is with Kiva, a charitable organisation which enables individuals and companies to offer loans to entrepreneurs in third-world countries, and here at The Big Yum we are pleased to say that The Big Yum Foundation has now been able to make its third loan to Kiva entrepreneurs.

Scroll down for a recent update…

Joyce Akoto is 49 and lives in Sunyani, Ghana. For the last 24 years she has sold a popular local food called Kenkey which is made from milled maize grains. Kenkey can be eaten with either hot pepper and fish in tomato sauce or in a stew, for breakfast, lunch or supper.

Joyce has 5 children, three of which are still in school. She will be using the loan to increase her production by buying more bags of maize, fish and vegetables, and the extra income will help to support her children’s education.

We will keep you updated on Joyce’s progress and inform you as and when The Big Yum Foundation becomes involved with more projects.

For more information on Kiva click here  www.kiva.org

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UPDATE!! February 2009:

Hooray! Our Kiva entrepreneurs continue to enjoy successful business ventures…both Joyce in Ghana (with her Kenkey business) and Faleifue in Samoa (with her Popcorn business) have been busy busy and are paying back their micro-loans promptly, so much so that we’ve been able to make our third loan!

Crisula Melloria is a 63-year-old mother of six children from Lun Masla, Malapatan, Sarangani Province in the Philippines, and she has just received a $100 loan from The Big Yum Foundation to help build up her food vendor business. We first took a shine to her after reading her opening gambit, “I’m already old, but I never lost hope to achieve my dreams for my family.” Well, we hope this loan will her achieve them!

For more info on Kiva, check out this video by a fellow Kiva lender! Kiva Video

PLUS…Aaron & Pippa have just returned from a trip to Sri Lanka, spreading the word of The Big Yum…and soaking up some much needed winter sun! Whilst we don’t anticipate many orders heading that way (chocolate & sunshine just don’t mix), we were happily able to put the efforts of The Big Yum Foundation into full effect by donating bags of much needed rice and (less essential) candy to the villagers of Waikkala. Check out Aaron with some of the happy recipients…

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Keep checking back here for more news on The Big Yum Foundation, as well as information on further charitable projects and fundraising events!