Over the past five years, the student council of the Cologne International School has organized Secret Santa deliveries for the entire school, starting from grade 1 all the way to grade 12. This involved the student council selling chocolate Santas which would be delivered on the final week of school right before the winter holidays, along with small handwritten tags. This was an excellent opportunity for parents, students, and teachers to show their appreciation for each other through a small yet meaningful gesture.

However, this year, Fairtrade chocolate Santas were used instead of conventional chocolates. Cologne International School is currently on a path to becoming a Fairtrade school. Hence, this was an incredible opportunity for our school to spread awareness about Fairtrade. This way, people could enjoy the chocolate Santas while supporting sustainable production practices, better working conditions, and fair wages.

After promoting and selling the Fairtrade chocolate Santas for two weeks, over 150 chocolate Santas have been sold and delivered to all the students and staff. The school and student council plan to use Fairtrade chocolates for all future secret Santa deliveries and eventually include Fairtrade products in all other events. We also hope that more individuals will consider using Fairtrade products in their daily lives through spreading awareness.