Our
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Karaya Bean was born from the land and people of the Dominican Republic.
The same region that grows our cacao shaped my childhood, my family and this brand.
Supporting our community is not an initiative
it’s a responsibility.
Yomary Thomas
Community Relations Coordinator
Music Support Project
Where It Began - Escuela Libre, Rio San Juan
After nearly fifteen years away, I returned to the Dominican Republic — to the town of Río San Juan where I grew up, & to the region where Karaya Bean sources its cacao.
During that visit, I reconnected with my cousin Yomary — known to many as Miguelina. What began as catching up with family became something much deeper.
Through our continued conversations after my return, she became a window into the daily life of the town — its rhythms, its challenges, and its quiet efforts to create opportunity for the next generation. In one of those conversations, she told me about a local government-supported music program serving the youth of Río San Juan.
A Program With Heart — and Very Few Instruments
Escuela Libre, Rio San Juan
The program is led by two dedicated instructors, Federico Toribio and Maestro Juan Villamán. The government supports their teaching, and their commitment to the students is unwavering.
But the program had a simple limitation: instruments.
With only a small number available, only a few students could participate at a time. Many were interested. Many were eager. But without instruments, the program could not expand.
Music is deeply woven into Dominican culture — yet when we were growing up in Río San Juan, access to structured music education was limited. Hearing about this program made me reflect on that reality.
Now, through Karaya Bean, we had the opportunity to support something that was already changing lives — simply by helping it grow.
Thirty Flutes. One Full Class.
Escuela Libre, Rio San Juan
Karaya Bean began its support by donating 30 flutes — enough to allow one complete class to begin.
What had once been a small group with shared instruments became a full classroom of students learning together, each with an instrument in hand.
When the instruments arrived, the lead instructor was deeply emotional. Years of dedication with limited resources had not gone unnoticed. The gratitude was not only for the donation, but for the recognition of their work and their belief in these students.
The teachers were already doing the hard work.
The students were already showing up.
They simply needed the tools.
Why This Matters to Karaya Bean
Escuela Libre, Rio San Juan
The cacao we source comes from the same land that shaped our childhood memories — the same community that raised us. Supporting initiatives in Río San Juan is not charity. It is continuity. It is responsibility. It is gratitude.
This music program reflects what we believe in:
• honoring origin
• investing in youth
• strengthening community from within
Thirty instruments may seem small.
But in the right hands, they create sound, confidence, and possibility.
This is only the beginning of our long-term commitment to the community connected to our cacao.
