Protect mental health, keep our centres open!

Hello Everyone,

We hope that you are safe and well in the run up to the holiday season. Our love and thoughts go to any of you who are 'doing life tough' at the moment.

So, on November 22nd, the day we have longed for and have planned for arrived - our centres reopened. As promised to our students, and because of your support, we were able to provide our programmes from the moment the government and education department gave the green light. 

Our staff continue to amaze us, and they are now working double shifts until the end of December to give the 2021 cohort, who have been so badly affected by the pandemic, the most opportunity to learn as possible. 

Right now, our students are studying employability skills, getting their CVs and cover letters ready, applying for jobs through our partnerships and links and practising their interview skills. We are supporting those who need it with bus fairs and interview clothes.

Rebuilding lives in the tea estates will take time and needs to start with the young people. Lives have been affected by a state of emergency for food shortages, huge unemployment, a politicised vaccine roll out that has largely ignored the tea workers and a huge rise in the cost of living. Young people hold the key to supporting their families and finding employment - but this is a huge responsibility that can take its toll. We are here for them as they hustle, as they apply for work, as they get the skills they need to lift their families out of extreme poverty.

We are being overwhelmed with applications for 2022. If you are able to support us with a regular gift... well, that would really be a wonderful Christmas present for the youth of the tea estates.

Thank you again, and Happy Christmas (if you celebrate), and best wishes from all of us at Tea Leaf Trust,

Tim, Yas and all at TLT

Links:

• Please consider a regular gift

Hello!

Thanks for taking time to have a read of this report and for your support in helping us make so much impact even in these testing times. I hope that you are all doing ok and are safe and healthy.

As Sri Lanka announces yet another lockdown for the next ten days, we wanted to start off by remembering two of our community we have lost in recent weeks to the pandemic, which has now taken hold within the tea estates - particularly in Maskeliya, which is where our journey started off.

We want to remember Azeeza, one of our past students and a former staff member, who passed leaving her husband (also a past student) and two children. Our love and thoughts go to her family at this time. Also, a long-term supporter of our work, Mr Mahanama Dodampegama, a friend through the Rotary Club of Colombo who visited and inspired our students and community many times. Our love to all mourning their passing.

However... there are beautiful stories to be told as well. Our staff, who are all under the age of 33 and all past students, are working tirelessly to call our students and alumni and check in on them and their families - offering support when needed - run online classes for those who have phones or computers, and posting worksheets to all students who are not able to join online or over what's app. Our staff team have been providing counselling support for their communities and leadership about how to establish vegetable gardens to provide some sustainable food source. They have been distributing food parcels and ensuring those who need medicine have it. 

I find it remarkable. These young leaders are also living in the tea estate communities, and have their own difficult situations at home to navigate. For example, most of our staff are now the only bread winners in their families, where previously there have been a few people working. Their salaries, particularly those of our junior staff, are being stretched by the unemployment that has hit the estate sector hard. 

In response, and because of your amazing generosity, our amazing Country Director has called each staff member and had a long chat about what support they need. For one, it is to escape some domestic violence that has happened since a family member returned from Colombo where he was made redundant. For others it is that they were not able to cover their bills and their food as sole wage earners. We have boosted salaries of all those junior staff and supported the rent of our staff member to move into lodgings.

Our staff are our heart beat. We know them first as students, then as employees and always as people and friends. We are proud of the fact that due to your amazing support, we are able to make sure that all of our staff team has access to help and support when they are in tough times. They are so committed to us and it is a privilege to offer extra support when they are doing life tough. Thank you for allowing this to be possible.

If you would like to talk about how any aspect of this email, then please email tim@tealeaftrust.com and we'll set-up a call.

With love to all, stay safe and stay strong,

Tim

Links:

• Our website
• A podcast with one of our Co-Founders