Your Joy in 2009

We're still sharing the joy with some great chocolate giveaways.

This is our final giveaway (unless you follow us on Twitter) so make sure you enter in time for the closing date of 24th of December. All you have to do is share a moment of joy you've experienced in 2009.

The best 20 comments will be rewarded.

Whoop whoop.

For full temrs and conditions, go here.

The competition has ended - but the love is far from over

Incredible.

We asked you to tell us about someone you loved. And you've blown us away with your touching responses. Thank you to everyone who took the time to reply. The competition has now ended.

We'll get in touch wtih the winners over thenext couple of days - and since there were so many awesome comments, there are many winners too. 

Tomorrow we're launching the second part of our love offensive. So watch this space, because the giving isn't going anywhere.

Chocolate for Someone you Love

Hello lovely readers. A few days ago, we told you that we were going to start thanking you properly for all the awesome love you've given us this year.

And today, it starts right here.

Tell us about someone you love and why they deserve some chocolate from us. The best comments on this post by the 20th of December will get a whole bunch of chocolately goodness from us.

Come and get it.

Adidso get a well!

We've written before about the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership and how Cadbury committed to build a well a day in Ghana in 2007.

Since then the CCP and its amazing partners have been working really hard to bring this ambition to life. One of the communities who've recently become part of this story is Adidso, where the new well has given the community access to portable drinking water for the first time in their lives.

This picture was taken by Danielle Derks last week Thursday. Look how excited the kids are at the prospect of pumping water from their very own well - awesome! According to Danielle it's already been used very well.

Thanks!

Wow. 2009 has flown in.

And for us it has been absolutely incredible.

We've gone Fairtrade. Hosted webcasts. Visited dairy farms. Rummaged through the Cadbury archives. Gone to Ghana. Met the cocoa farmers we've been working with for over a hundred years. Given away t-shirt. Hosted Ghanaian food Masterclasses.

We've also been absolutely inundated with love from everyone reading this blog and for that, we can't thank you enough.

We've received thousands of emails, hundreds of comments and been on the receiving end of a number of mutual blog love. That's why we're going to end 2009 and kick off 2010 by saying thanks.

Over the next two weeks we're launching a love offensive. And today it starts on Twitter. Follow us to take part.

Ghana's Winter Olympian

We loved reading about Kwame Nkrumph-Acheampong.

You might not know his name now, but we think he's going to be much discussed during the Winter Olympics.

You see, he is Ghana's Winter Olympic team. Kwame had never even seen snow until he arrived in the UK in 2000. He then got a job at his local Xcape and keep working until he made it all the way to the Olympics.

And his work hasn't just been limited to sport, he's also had to do a lot of fundraising to get there - getting people to sponsor a spot on his leopard-print ski suit.

Watch his interview wtih the BBC here.

Good luck Kwame, we'll be rooting for you!

Tinny with Sway

While Tinny was here he dropped into studio with Sway to remix of Zingolo. Sway has remixed some of the world's best known artists including Akon and The Pussycat Dolls. Tinny said that he was delighted to be working with Sway. Apparently the two of them had a great time in studio together.

Catching up with Tinny

We sat down with Tinny, the star of Zingolo, our Fairtrade music video to see if he's enjoyed his time in the UK.

Tell us a bit about where you grew up

I’m a  Ghana boy through and though. I grew up in an area called labadi in Accra.

Is anyone in your family involved in the production of cocoa in Ghana?

Not in my family, no. But my managers family are all cocoa farmers or involved in cocoa farming in some way.

What do you know about Cadbury Dairy Milk going Fairtrade?

I know that Cadbury have been working in Ghana for over a 100 years. William Cadbury was the first person to come to Ghana to do business with the Ghanaian farmers. Ghanaian farmers could not have hoped for anything better, Cadbury are not the only manufacturing company buying cocoa from Ghana, but they have seen the plight of the farmers and have responded. I think they've done good.

How did you feel to be the face of something that will benefit Ghanaian farmers?

Very grateful and it brings a lot to my area and the farmers!

What have you been up to while you've been in London?

I’ve been to a museum, an orphanage and schools. It’s been cool!

What has been the highlight of your stay?

I went to the studio with Sway to do a remix of the Zingolo track. Yeah, that was awesome.

Have you been here before? What did you find surprising?

I’ve been here several times for live concerts but I'm always surprised by how different the weather is.

What did your fans in Ghana think of your single with Cadbury?

Everybody Is happy about it and they’ve seen a Ghanaian all over UK on TV. They’ve realised that we're some good work and being recognised for it.
 
Did they enjoy the music video?

Yes, they thought that the video was really great.

Did you enjoy making the video?

I really enjoyed making the video I’ve done a lot of videos but I would say this one was quite different, this one was special. The whole crew, everybody was so great. 

We asked Henry, a friend of our blog and contributor to Afrigadget.com what he wanted us to ask you and he said "ask Tinny what makes him so sexy"

I’ve never called myself Sexy. In my song it says they call me sexy. That question is really for my fans.