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Joy

Need a pick-me-up? Revisit these Lin-Manuel Miranda tweets offering pure love and joy.

Lin-Manuel Miranda is a ray of light in a world that can sometimes feel like it's shrouded in darkness.

inspiration, tweets, artist, mental health
Image by Gate Skidmore/Wikemedia Commons.

Lin-Manuel Miranda at the San Diego Comic Con, 2019.

Lin-Manuel Miranda is a ray of light in a world that can sometimes (OK, often) feel like it's shrouded in darkness.

The award-winning multi-hyphenate — He sings! He acts! He writes! He directs! He inspires you to do better while reminding you that you're good enough! — is always there to wish you a good morning and a good night.

Miranda uses his tweets to share inspiration, kindness, and encouragement to the masses.

If you haven't heard of the person, let me introduce you to some good vibes and positive mojo.

It's nice to wake up to a message designed to help you feel better. He encourages us to put aside those unproductive thoughts and get into a good day.

Having a restless night? Miranda will inspire you to dream big as you sleep — and then turn those dreams into reality upon waking.

He always wants you to be yourself.

And to be kind to yourself.

He helps us remember to recognize that anxiety, sadness, and difficult feelings are normal and valid.

He reminds us to work hard, never give up, and recognize how far we've come.

He knows the value of taking a break to enjoy life ...

... investing time in others ...

... and supporting causes that matter.

He recognizes that life can be fleeting ...

... and that the world is full of possibilities!

Remember that no matter how it feels, you're never ever alone.

You are loved. You matter.

You know what? Sometime you just need to hear that.

And if you need to hear it on a daily basis (probably! I do!), you're going to want to follow Lin-Manuel Miranda on Twitter. It'll make your morning, post-lunch slump, and night.


This article originally appeared on 06.08.18

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Women working in Africa’s cocoa farms have received business education programs for 15 years. Here’s how that benefits the entire world.

All images provided by CARE & Cargill

The impact of the CARE and Cargill partnership goes beyond empowering cocoa farmers

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Cocoa, the key ingredient found in your favorite chocolate bar, has been a highly revered food product throughout human history. It’s been used for religious ceremonies in Peru, royal feasts in England and France, traded as currency for the ancient Mayans. And considering that many of us enjoy chocolate on a regular basis (mochas and candy bars, anyone?) it seems like that love is still going strong even today.

And if you are someone who looks forward to that sweet chocolate pick-me-up on a regular basis, you likely have the women of West Africa to thank.

Women like Barbara Sika Larweh, a mother of six who works as a cocoa farmer in Larwehkrom, a community located within the Sefwi Wiawso Municipality in the Western North Region of Ghana.

care, cargillMama Cash now empowers other women to gain independence

Nearly 60% of the world’s cocoa comes from both Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, where Barbara and other mothers make up over half of the labor force. These female cocoa farmers shoulder the same physical burden as their male counterparts—all while also running households and paying for their children to go to school. And yet, they typically don’t receive equal income. Nor do they have access to the resources that could help them achieve financial independence.

Thankfully, positive changes are taking place. Barbara’s story exemplifies the impact of programs offered by CARE and Cargill, such as Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), which are small groups that offer low-interest loans to individuals living in poverty, helping them to build savings without going into devastating debt.

Through these initiatives, women, like Barbara, are equipped with vital knowledge like financial literacy to improve household incomes, sustainable agriculture practices that improve yields, and nutrition education to diversify their family’s diets.

“They came and trained me on the VSLA. I dedicated myself and volunteered so that I would be able to train my people, too,” Barbara explains.

Within the first year of using the programs, Barbara and the people she trained profited—earning her the nickname of “Mama Cash.”

This is no isolated event. In cocoa-growing communities supported by CARE and Cargill programming between 2019-2022, the number of households living below the national poverty line decreased by nearly 32% in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana - as a direct result of increasing and diversifying income through using these programs.

Like Barbara, who today is an executive member of the Community Development Committee, more than 2.4 million women have used their success as entrepreneurs to transform into leaders and decision-makers within their communities. Whether it’s giving most of their earnings back to their families, reducing child labor, or exponentially increasing overall farm yields, the rippling effect is profound.

The impact of the CARE and Cargill partnership goes beyond empowering cocoa farmers. The joint initiatives have fostered progress on complex global issues related to social justice, such as gender equality, climate change, and food security. By improving access to quality nutrition, water, and hygiene, the joint programs have positively influenced the cocoa communities’ well-being.

Suddenly there’s a lot more to think about the next time you eat a candy bar.

Find out more about the important partnership between CARE and Cargill here.
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