The Tea Leaf Trust
The tea-growing regions of Sri Lanka (mainly the 'Hill' country) are where the majority of the poorest people on the island live. Many people in this region lack the education/training needed for skilled jobs, and therefore have to resort to extremely poorly paid labour-intensive work; mainly picking tea or working as farm labourers cultivating vegetables for local businesses.
The Tea Leaf Trust is committed to providing educational resources for the tea-pluckers (mainly of Tamil Nadu origin) and the poor farmland communities (mainly of Singhalese origin) that border the tea plantations. It is envisaged that these resources will help both these communities live a better quality of life, reduce poverty and promote integration/strengthen cohesion between these groups.
The Trust was established by Rotarian Tim Paye and his wife who emigrated to Sri Lanka to help those in need.
more How an experience provided by Rotary some years ago changed one person's life
more Sonia's first missive from the Tea Plantation
more Continuing the story from Sonia ....
more Reduce, re-use and recycle
more lesson 6 poverty and business as usual!
more Following her successful trip to help the Tealeaf Trust in Sri Lanka - sonia is now back.
more Sonia has returned to Sri Lanka to carry out a very special project.
back Rotarian Sonia Allen volunteers to work with the Tea Leaf Trust in Sri Lanka