Oliva Cigars charity. Cigar charities, quite a good number of cigar brands run or support a charity program. And there are a few distributors that either support or started charities as well. They are giving back to the community. Some are open about it, raising awareness while trying to raise funds. Others do it on the low as they are afraid it will be seen as marketing.

We feel that all the actions of the factories should be highlighted. The cigar industry needs positive stories, and we need to get the word out to the general public and politicians that there is no other industry that gives back to the community as much as the cigar industry does.

J. Cortes & Oliva

For years now, Oliva Cigars is supporting local Nicaraguan charities on the low. When we visited Nicaragua a few years ago, we learned that Oliva provided rice and beans to an orphanage for example. But with the new leadership of J. Cortes, things have taken a more serious approach. 

Oliva Cigars has adopted a school near its Tabolisa factory and renamed it Escula Oliva. Oliva is donating funds directly to the Catholic school. It is supporting the teachers financially. But Oliva also pays for lunch for all the school goers. 

“Oliva is supporting our teachers financially and pays for one meal a day for all our pupils. It’s giving this young generation hope and good education”, says Wilmer Jeronimo Lagos. Lagos teaches English at Escula Oliva. Even though Esteli is the capitol of cigars, English is a language that most citizens of Esteli don’t speak. 

New leadership

When the Belgian cigar manufacturer J. Cortes acquired Oliva Cigars, they implemented changes. The Tabolisa factory was completely renovated. A second factory was built. Escula Oliva is the school closes to the factory. But children of the Oliva employees could not access this school. The fees were too high. CEO Frederik Vandermarliere explains how all this changed when Oliva Cigars was taken over by Belgium’s J. Cortès: “Not only did we make significant improvements to working conditions, we also invested in the school so that the children of our colleagues are now able to attend classes there.”