Mars and Save the Children’s women cocoa farmers project: overviewMars and Save the Children have launched a $3m women-focused projectWomen R.I.S.E aims to strengthen Indonesia’s cocoa-growing communities resilienceMore than 17,000 cocoa farmers will participate over three yearsThe initiative promotes financial inclusion, leadership and climate-smart farmingSupporting women helps improve livelihoods, productivity and cocoa sustainabilityMars, Inc. has partnered with Save the Children to launch the Women R.I.S.E. The three-year initiative aims to strengthen the resilience of cocoa-growing communities while advancing child protection and women’s economic empowerment across Indonesia. Supported through a $3m (€2.6m) grant from the Mars Impact Fund, the Program will expand Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and strengthen community resilience initiatives in cocoa-growing regions. The work, says the multinational, supports the Mars Impact Fund mission to “accelerate meaningful, lasting impact in the communities where Mars operates”. “True community resilience is built from the ground up,” says program director of the Mars Impact Fund, Isabel Dimitrov.