2027 cacao apprenticeship
awanima immersionsJoin us next harvest season in LanquΓn, Guatemala to learn how to care for cacao, from seed to block.
Weekly and monthly options available
WHO?
WHAT?
WHERE?
WHEN?
Who? Cacao lovers who want to deepen their relationship with the people and process behind their favorite cup
What? Hands-on learning experience for you to be an apprentice to cacao and her Qβeqchi guardians
Where? LanquΓn, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala
When? January through June, 2027; flexible stay options available from 1 week to 3 months
π learn directly from cacao guardians
This offering brings together two worlds: people interested in connecting with more deeply with the origins of cacao and the Qβeqchi community who has stewarded it for generations.
In this apprenticeship, you donβt just learn about cacao β you walk the land where it grows, meet the people who tend it, and get your hands dirty in the entire transformation of cacao, from raw seeds to finished block.
This apprenticeship is designed to reconnect you β to your body, to the Earth, and to a sacred plant that is here to teach us about relationship.
The journeyπ an introduction to the qβeqchi world
In this apprenticeship, students will learn directly from our Qβeqchi team members who devote their lives to caring for cacao.
We want participants to get to know the people and the lands behind the cacao they drink, and to know how much hard work, devotion, and wisdom is required to produce cacao with integrity.
You will be immersed into an original Maya community, with kind, humble people who have very different worldviews, lifestyles, and wisdom than the average Western person.
This is an incredible opportunity for intercultural collaboration and sensemaking, and for people to have a glimpse into the beautiful and complex lives of the people who tend to Guatemalaβs mountainsides and make the medicine of cacao that we know and love.
What youβll experience
Visiting family parcels & learning directly from farmers
Hands-on experience in fermentation, drying, toasting, and peeling cacao
Working alongside the women in production
Assisting in cacao purchasing days with farmers
Tending to cacao agroforestry systems and helping in the plant nursery
Collecting and processing fresh cacao juice
Participating in shared meals
Connecting with a like-minded community
Traditional Mayan fire ceremony
Time to rest, reflect, and integrate
Learning a bit of Qβeqchi!
Drinking a lot of cacao, at the origin
As an apprentice, youβll receive:
Three-hour cacao tour & visit of family parcel
Daily learning and co-working with local team in fermentation, drying, peeling, production, and regenerative agriculture
Shared accommodations in one of our eco-cabins
A community of likeminded individuals who love cacao
Full immersion into wild nature, swimming in rivers, hiking in the mountains
Three healthy meals per day with daily cacao with breakfast
Who This Is For
These immersions are for people who feel called to go deeper β
to understand where cacao comes from,
to connect with the land and the people behind it,
and to know firsthand how much love, hard work, and care goes into a single block of cacao.
