TeaologyCARE
In carefully sourcing the highest-quality organic teas for the Teaology line, the founders Cecilia and Paolo developed relationships with some of the women that work in this highly skilled trade. In an effort to give back to these traditional communities, they recently launched TeaologyCARE.
The mission of TeaologyCARE is to safeguard the ancient tradition of a trade almost entirely carried out by women, to protect female labor, to launch practical interventions to improve the life of those who live in rural areas and to protect biodiversity.
TeaologyCARE contributes towards this change by especially focusing on actual conditions and on the difficulties faced by the most vulnerable women.
The iconic scene of tea harvesting and processing is populated by female workers, whose small delicate hands skillfully pluck and process the leaves and new shoots that will be transformed into precious tea.
To date, TeaologyCARE has launched a program to support the community of Balangoda in Sri Lanka and female workers employed at the Tea Factories Wikiliya and New Hopewell.
Balangoda, the TEA region
The Sri Lankan Ministry of Agricultural Development and Services reports that 80% of the population lives in rural areas and accounts for 95% of the country’s poor. The major part of them depends on farming for their livelihood.
Moreover there are also many social and cultural problems related to alcohol abuse, ill-treatment of women and minors and poor hygiene.
Wikiliya and New Hopewell are tea factories that have significantly helped low income families in the Balangoda district, both by purchasing tea leaves from small owners in the area (ca. 13,000 suppliers), and by creating jobs to support more than 10,000 families.
The two factories produce more almost 4 million kilos of tea every year.
Project “TeaologyCARE” is designed to practically improve the living conditions of these people from an economic, cultural and spiritual standpoint.
TeaologyCARE aims to provide future generations with the means to improve their living conditions, in part by building awareness of health and social problems.
The program supports education for the children of female workers by providing scholarships.
TeaologyCARE also supports health care and preventive medicine through doctor visits and health education.