Monica Casey has sworn off chocolate—quite a feat for anyone, especially a 9–year–old. But the reason she’s given up chocolate is even more amazing. She’s taking a stand for kids across the world.
It all began last Easter. Her mom, Katie, had received information from a friend about kids being forced to work on cocoa farms. Normally Katie didn’t pay close attention to such things, but this one nagged at her heart. And after researching on the web, Katie was downright convicted. She had three little children of her own, and she couldn’t imagine them being forced to work on farms.
With Easter approaching, Katie asked her children if she could replace the chocolate in their baskets with other goodies. Nathan, 7, and Autumn, 4, were too young to understand even the most simple explanation—or even to agree. But Monica understood her mother’s reason. She not only agreed to the one–time holiday omission, but she also wanted to boycott chocolate completely.
Her mom was not surprised. Monica has always had a sensitive heart. She had also studied slavery in history class. She understood that children today are being enslaved too, and she started telling her friends and neighbors about it. They were shocked as well. Soon, Monica and 15 other kids, all under 14, from her Salvation Army church (corps), banded together on a mission.
They made posters. They recruited an adult to help make a video. They wrote a petition that asked people to sign a pledge: “We commit to pray for children who are forced to work on cocoa farms.” About 65 people signed up to pray!
Then she asked her mom what else they could do. Together, they wrote letters to company executives and state officials about human trafficking, which includes using children as slave laborers. They even created a MySpace page about the issue. And in their daily family prayers, they talked to God about it.
“I wasn’t really surprised by [Monica’s] reaction,” said Katie, “but by her conviction and commitment.”
Katie doesn’t want Monica to become too burdened, yet she’s impressed with her young activist daughter. And she’s learning from her.
“I’ve always felt overwhelmed, tender–hearted, and so would distance myself from social justice issues,” says Katie. “Through Monica I’ve learned that we may not be able to do everything, but we can all do something. As Christians we can each find our niche. We can each make a difference.”
While Katie and her husband, Chris, may not consider themselves activists, they are both involved in ministry. Chris is community center director and Katie is outreach director for their church, the Madison, Wis., Corps. They also have each been part of short–term mission teams. They are thoughtful about the way they’re living and how they’re raising their kids, even when it comes to consumer choices. After checking watchdog websites and fair–trade companies, Katie’s family has reintroduced some chocolate into their home from companies that don’t use cocoa beans from forced child labor. But they continue to fight against human trafficking.
For instance, one Saturday, the family went out for breakfast at a pancake house. Wanting to order chocolate chip pancakes, Monica asked about the chips’ brand. The flummoxed waitress had no idea. “If you wouldn’t mind finding out, it would mean a great deal to her,” said Katie. The verdict came back; the chips were OK. There was much rejoicing!
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