What makes a town Divine? In the case of Northampton, Massachusetts, it’s having a community of Divine Chocolate-loving Fair Trade supporters, including one of the town’s most influential residents, Mayor Clare Higgins. Cecilia Appianim of Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union, Alexandra Mello of Northampton Fair Trade and I popped into Mayor Higgins’s office this Valentine’s Day to say ‘thank you’ for supporting Northampton’s move to become a Fair Trade Town. Upon arriving, a member of the mayor’s staff greeted us enthusiastically – the town was already abuzz with news of Cecilia’s visit to Northampton.

A vase of Fair Trade roses sat near the office entrance. A few minutes later, Clare Higgins emerged from a meeting and joined us for a brief chat and the chocolate hand-off. Cecilia wasted no time in sharing the story of how Kuapa women are now a force to be reckoned with, thanks to their ownership stake in Divine Chocolate and involvement with Fair Trade.

Mayor Higgins, it turned out, was already a Divine Chocolate fan and listened intently to our story. Before we departed, Mayor Higgins (in blue) posed for a photograph, thanked Cecilia, and wished us luck on the rest of our journey. Cecilia also received a special gift from the Mayor - a mug with Northampton’s slogan: "Northampton – where the coffee is strong and so are the women."

Cecilia reflected fondly on the visit. “Niki,” she said, “This mayor is a woman and she is very powerful. And she knows about the importance of Fair Trade and Divine. Mayor Higgins is ‘ma pa pa paa’ – the best of the best woman.” Thank you, Mayor Higgins and the town of Northampton. We look forward to a lasting relationship between Northampton’s strong women and Divine’s!