"By highlighting strong and successful large families, we value raising children and honor having many children in society – we demonstrate that children are welcome in the Estonian society and it encourages people and gives them certainty in terms of children being a true source of wealth, said Aage Õunap, president of the Estonian Association of Large Families.

"The Alev family is an extremely close family that is wealthy in children and where everything is done together – birthdays, visits to relatives and friends, excursions to nature, both near and far," Õunap said. "No one is left behind or carted off to stay with grandparents. The father and mother have moved their professional activities home to be closer to the children, making them feel safe and setting an example in everything they do."

"This year's large family is a brilliant example of entrepreneurship and courage," said Jonna Pechter from Bigbank. "They have made Estonia much wealthier because in addition to being hard workers, they are also friendly and positive. They have respect for the environment, manufacture delicious chocolate and have fixed up an old country schoolhouse."

Aivo (42) and Merike (36) Alev live and work in the former Lepistu schoolhouse where they run the Roosiku Chocolate Factory and homeschool their children some of whom are students of the Rakvere Waldorf School. Their children are Aaron Aivo (15), Kaspar Elias (14), Joonas Arnold (9), Artur (7), Esmeralda (5), Rosanna (1).

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