Today, Jana Solom, one of the founders of Mamakakao, shares her story to inspire you to explore the depths of cacao and connect with us.
Jana: 6 years ago, neither of our lives were so connected to cacao, and we surely didn't foresee such a role for ourselves, everything just came naturally step by step.
I left the Amazon jungle with a cacao pod in my hand, handed to me by my master plant teacher.
At the time, I wasn’t sure what to do with it—and truthfully, I felt a little uneasy receiving it. As I walked away, the girls behind me asked if they could have one too, and of course, the teacher agreed.
Yet something about that moment stayed with me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d been chosen for something I didn’t yet understand.
When it came time to leave Peru, I was unexpectedly denied boarding for my flight to the United States. That was supposed to be my next destination—I had left all my belongings there before venturing into the Amazon. We had planned to celebrate Christmas with friends in San Francisco, but that no longer seemed possible for me.
Instead, I found myself stranded in Lima. Carrying only what I had packed for the jungle...
Luckily, friends from the Hanuman Project reached out and invited me to Guatemala.
I didn’t have many options, so I said yes—and flew into the unknown, trusting my friends and following an invisible thread. I had no idea this would mark the beginning of a deep journey into Mayan culture—a culture that, in many ways, felt familiar to my Estonian roots, yet so much more alive and present there than here.
I sat in many fire ceremonies with grandmother Nana Rosalía Zavala's, in which the cacao and its ancient knowledge play a big role.
She spoke as if seeing the future—naming what was out of balance in the body and soul, and pointing clearly to what needed to be done next. She read the future through cacao—and she was always right. Many tears were shed as I began to see that the world was far deeper, more layered, than I had ever imagined.
And with each tear, I began to believe more in myself and my own path - that it doesn't have to be like anyone else's, and it can't be, because it is my path.
Grandmother Rosalía's connection with cacao restored my faith in magic and that life is much bigger than my previous view of the world.
I had long been fascinated by Mayan astrology and its powerful symbols. Years before I ever set foot in Guatemala, a dear friend, Kairi Kivirähk, gifted me a Mayan astrology reading with Mark Elmy. That reading quietly opened the next door on my path. What followed was a deepening study with Mark, unfolding naturally, step by step. It brought me profound insights—not only into earthly life, but also into the intimate connection between human experience and the elements.
I also understood why I am the way I am and why others are the way they are... This understanding and compassion opened my heart even more and gave my life a deeper purpose.
I’ve participated in and supported many fire ceremonies where cacao holds a sacred and meaningful role. But there are only a few recordings of these moments—because these spaces are not meant to be captured. We don’t film or take photos. We are simply there—fully present, within ourselves, with each other, and with the fire.
These circles left a deep imprint on me, and with each gathering, my understanding grew stronger. The more I witnessed, the more I realized how vast and profound the cacao’s wisdom truly is. I understood the beauty and pain of being human..
Atitláni Along the way, I met extraordinary people—souls I now call my global family. Bright, grounded beings who are making the world a better place, each in their own way, whether through quiet acts or bold steps.
Starting in 2019, we were all green and just beginning. Today, many of us have blossomed into amazing artists, creators, retreat center owners, and champions of a happier world.
And also, looking back, I feel that all of us changed there - growing deeper in our mission and in the connection with each other. 
And where was the cacao in all of this? Cacao was everywhere—behind every picture, there was a cup of cacao that brought us together. It opened our hearts to hope and faith, reminding us that we can achieve anything when we choose to come together and support one another.
After each round, we washed the dishes together and tidied the rooms and altars. Everyone was always there with open hearts and unwavering support.
But still, it wasn’t enough for me. At one point, I felt compelled to go to the source—to truly see how cacao is made. I had witnessed its growth in the Amazon, sat in circles with grandmothers and grandfathers in Guatemala, absorbing their wisdom, and participated in healing circles with friends and community. Yet none of that showed me everything I needed to understand what it truly means to create something like this with my own hands. How does cacao transform—from seed to block—while regenerating an entire rainforest?
The relentless fast pace of today’s world has stolen much of our depth and connection. But Beronika and Laurent from DaliLeo Farm showed me a light shining in a different direction.
I witnessed what fifteen years of dedication and daily, steadfast work had meant to them—work that hasn’t yet brought much financial reward, but has gifted them with a profound sense of mission and a soulful connection to themselves, their family, their community, and nature.
Along Lake Atitlán, their family has helped build vital water systems and sought solutions where the government has fallen short.
These changes all began with a love story—between two people who met in a restaurant in La Paz, on the shores of Atitlán.
And thanks to their family and the collective efforts of the community, we are now able to enjoy this wonderful cacao here in Estonia.
From there, the journey led me to a women’s collective, where I picked and completed my Guatemala traditional belt. I shared with the local elders that in my country we have similar woven belts called kirivöö, and we spoke about the beautiful parallels between our traditions.
I also shared that we no longer wear folk clothing every day, and that those who remain deeply connected to nature are sometimes seen as a bit unusual. Yet, shamanism still lives on among us—a vibrant bond with nature carried forward by medicine men and women.
When I returned home, my heart and eyes were alight. Each morning, I sat in meditation with cacao, sometimes for thirty minutes, other times for up to two hours.
I was given precise instructions on how to share the cacao. At first, I resisted—I wasn’t sure I wanted to listen. But in the end, I surrendered to the calling. There was a flicker of fear, too—the worry that I might be seen as a weirdo, shifting from photographer to cacao ceremony host.
However trust in the guidance won and I started putting on cacao circles to bridge the teachings. and with my friend Maris and I found a source to get this cacao to Estonia.
Over the five years of this journey, we’ve shared many different workshops and circles—always uplifting and supportive, and sometimes a little strange. Each one offered its own lessons to be learned.
Those after circle ripples made and still make my heart glow. moments when we truly hold each other.
In the midst of these circles and spaces, I realised that cacao needed to reach a wider audience and it was important that it could be sold in Estonia..
At the time of this realisation Jaanela and Kaisa appeared in my lifewho had been drinking cacao in the same way and sharing it with others.
This is when we started a business together...thats how DaliLeo cacao Estonia was born, which has now become Mamakakao OÜ and Mamacacao.eu.
It was important for us to do it right, or at least as well as we could together. So that cacao would be available in Estonia, but not turn into something that is just food.
Today, together with Kaisa, we are on the journey to building a strong company that will bring cacao to the Baltics.
The road hasn’t been easy, but we believe deeply in our mission and trust the guidance that leads our way.
This summer, we launched two wonderful new cacaos from Guatemala under the Mamakakao white label: “Joy & Ease” and “Tropical Taste.”
We named the cacaos ourselves, inspired by the feelings they evoked when we drank them. And we invite you to remember that this drink carries deep roots and profound meaning.
There are many more stories—like how “Heart Space” with Margit Kärner came to be, the Edu Academy cacao circles with Roland Tokko, cacao gong nights with Tiina Karjatsa, and more...
The full story is much longer, but I hope this glimpse inspires you, because your story matters just as much.
If you, too, want to deepen your connection with cacao, we warmly welcome you to join our trainings and circles—or even to travel with us to Guatemala!
You can find more information about our trainings and trips on our Instagram account @mamacacao.eu and at www.janasolom.com.
The journey through cacao circles offers a deep and meaningful connection with this extraordinary plant—one that can ripple out to inspire positive change within your family and community.