OUR MAKERS
Our team of local artisans are the backbone of what we do and why we do it. Their home has constantly been exploited for its natural wealth, and they have lived through dire situations that impacted them very deeply. Living in conflict-affected areas meant that there had never been any value addition to the local supply chain. Despite being in a volatile environment, their skill and strength showed no bounds. Their resilience in the face of adversity is what inspired us to do what we do. Read more about some of our producers below.
Aime
A romantic at heart, Aime is a determined, dedicated and compassionate young woman, whose goal is helping her parents have a better life. She is filled with wonder and hope that the world can be a generous and giving place, where her dreams can come true. She enjoys watching romantic movies and listening to devotional
Amani
Specializing in finance and the art of appreciating classical music, Amani helps run the facility in Goma with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. He is trained in Business Administration and Finance and brings a wealth of experience to his role in our Congo facility. When he is not helping
Rocky
Rocky is undoubtedly our favorite member of the team. She is a bright, big ball of bacon fueled energy! Keeping her still for even a second has been impossible. Rocky was born the runt of the litter but survived against all odds to become a fierce protector of our facility in the DRC. She has
Heritier
Heritier is a young man, passionate about conservation and preventing deforestation. A carpenter by training and profession, he has also worked as a motorcycle mechanic and now operates as a freelancer and landlord in Goma. He has a daughter and works very hard to leave a better world behind for future generations.He believes that carpentry
Mamy
Show her a tadpole, and she’ll claim that she’s seen the Loch Ness monster in the middle of Lake Kivu! Mamy is the most entertaining and creative storyteller we have come across. With the ability to spin tales that would put Tolkien to shame, she is the life of the party at our facility in
Micheline
Rising up from the various challenges life has thrown her way, Micheline manages to flash a big, warm smile every time we see her! Her gentle and nurturing demeanor instils a sense of calm whenever she’s around. Besides crafting the most perfect chocolate, she enjoys bragging to her friends about all the wonderful things she
Kitame
An artist like Kitame comes around only once in a lifetime. The first time we met him, he was part of a group of around 10 Congolese artists who were asked to come up with artwork samples to help guide a vision for supporting local artists. There were several interesting personalities, but we were floored
Tanisha
Tanisha is our communications manager, and the one writing all this content, she finds it a bit strange writing about herself, but there are some things in life that are unavoidable, and it’s a lesson she’s learning as she’s typing this. A crazy dog lady and chronic book collector, Tanisha’s favorite chocolate is anything 75%
Caren
The three C’s that make Caren are calm, cool, and collected. When she’s not crunching numbers (and peanuts) at the office, Caren enjoys travelling and cooking. It’s hard to understand how someone can be dealing with numbers all day and still have a bright, big, smile on her face, but that’s Caren for you! Just
Wahura
Wahura keeps the ball rolling behind the scenes. She loves the dynamism of her job and having a different challenge to deal with each day. It’s the closest she can get to solving sudoku puzzles all day without having to solve sudoku puzzles all day! Whether it’s sourcing the right buckets or hopping on the
Adele
Adele is the co-founder for I Am Origins and an inspiring woman with experience and vision. After a career in development with the African Union and the United Nations, she wanted to implement real-time impact, and ventured into the world of social enterprise. She started an initiative called Fair Congo, set up our carpentry program
Mary
Mary loves to travel and socialize! Her love for travel is so deep, she wanted to be a flight attendant when she was younger just so she could hop on a plane and explore the world. She is very happy that the chocolate she makes can travel all over the world. From the top of
Jemimah
When she was younger, Jemimah wanted to be a paediatrician to help children in need. She had a strong desire to know that something she had done was helpful and brought a smile to people. Her dream came true because now she’s helping the whole world smile by making our incredibly special and decadent bean
Aime
A romantic at heart, Aime is a determined, dedicated and compassionate young woman, whose goal is helping her parents have a better life. She is filled with wonder and hope that the world can be a generous and giving place, where her dreams can come true. She enjoys watching romantic movies and listening to devotional
Amani
Specializing in finance and the art of appreciating classical music, Amani helps run the facility in Goma with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. He is trained in Business Administration and Finance and brings a wealth of experience to his role in our Congo facility. When he is not helping
Rocky
Rocky is undoubtedly our favorite member of the team. She is a bright, big ball of bacon fueled energy! Keeping her still for even a second has been impossible. Rocky was born the runt of the litter but survived against all odds to become a fierce protector of our facility in the DRC. She has
Heritier
Heritier is a young man, passionate about conservation and preventing deforestation. A carpenter by training and profession, he has also worked as a motorcycle mechanic and now operates as a freelancer and landlord in Goma. He has a daughter and works very hard to leave a better world behind for future generations.He believes that carpentry
Mamy
Show her a tadpole, and she’ll claim that she’s seen the Loch Ness monster in the middle of Lake Kivu! Mamy is the most entertaining and creative storyteller we have come across. With the ability to spin tales that would put Tolkien to shame, she is the life of the party at our facility in
Micheline
Rising up from the various challenges life has thrown her way, Micheline manages to flash a big, warm smile every time we see her! Her gentle and nurturing demeanor instils a sense of calm whenever she’s around. Besides crafting the most perfect chocolate, she enjoys bragging to her friends about all the wonderful things she
Kitame
An artist like Kitame comes around only once in a lifetime. The first time we met him, he was part of a group of around 10 Congolese artists who were asked to come up with artwork samples to help guide a vision for supporting local artists. There were several interesting personalities, but we were floored
Tanisha
Tanisha is our communications manager, and the one writing all this content, she finds it a bit strange writing about herself, but there are some things in life that are unavoidable, and it’s a lesson she’s learning as she’s typing this. A crazy dog lady and chronic book collector, Tanisha’s favorite chocolate is anything 75%
Caren
The three C’s that make Caren are calm, cool, and collected. When she’s not crunching numbers (and peanuts) at the office, Caren enjoys travelling and cooking. It’s hard to understand how someone can be dealing with numbers all day and still have a bright, big, smile on her face, but that’s Caren for you! Just
Wahura
Wahura keeps the ball rolling behind the scenes. She loves the dynamism of her job and having a different challenge to deal with each day. It’s the closest she can get to solving sudoku puzzles all day without having to solve sudoku puzzles all day! Whether it’s sourcing the right buckets or hopping on the
Adele
Adele is the co-founder for I Am Origins and an inspiring woman with experience and vision. After a career in development with the African Union and the United Nations, she wanted to implement real-time impact, and ventured into the world of social enterprise. She started an initiative called Fair Congo, set up our carpentry program
Mary
Mary loves to travel and socialize! Her love for travel is so deep, she wanted to be a flight attendant when she was younger just so she could hop on a plane and explore the world. She is very happy that the chocolate she makes can travel all over the world. From the top of
Jemimah
When she was younger, Jemimah wanted to be a paediatrician to help children in need. She had a strong desire to know that something she had done was helpful and brought a smile to people. Her dream came true because now she’s helping the whole world smile by making our incredibly special and decadent bean