About

For the past week, we have been volunteering at The T.E.A Project - a Children’s Rights led organisation based in rural Hanthana, Sri Lanka. We have worked in the Centre for Children’s Empowerment (The Cloud), which supports disadvantaged children of tea plantation workers - some of Sri Lanka’s most marginalised and forgotten people. For over 150 years, plantation workers have been trapped in a cycle of poverty and exploitation. Their ancestors were brought from India during British colonial rule and forced into backbreaking labour. Today, their families still work long hours for less than £3 a day, struggling to afford food, healthcare, and education for their children. At the Centre for Children’s Empowerment, children from plantation communities come to learn, eat a proper meal, receive skills training, and access mental health support. The T.E.A. Project is breaking the cycle of poverty and giving children hope for a future beyond the tea fields. We have witnessed first hand the importance and value of The T.E.A Project’s work during our week here - both in the Tiny T.E.A Preschool and the Youth Empowerment Service. We would love to raise funds to help support the continuation of their work. Specifically, money raised will be used to cover the costs of English teaching in local secondary schools. English language is vital for the children in these communities - it directly impacts access to future education and employment opportunities. We hope you consider donating to such a wonderful charity.