Hello!
This November (2026), I'll be travelling to Sri Lanka to volunteer with Tea Leaf Trust, an inspiring charity that works alongside tea estate communities to create opportunities for brighter futures.
Tea Leaf Trust empowers young people through education, vocational training, leadership development, and emotional wellbeing programmes, helping them build meaningful careers, strengthen their families, and create positive change within their communities. Funds raised are directed to where they are needed most, often supporting students facing hardship as rising bus fares and food costs (>20%) make everyday life increasingly difficult.
As part of my three-week placement, I'll be spending time at the Tea Leaf Trust centre in Maskeliya, supporting students with English language learning and, most importantly, encouraging and inspiring young people as they pursue their own paths towards success.
To better understand the realities of life in the tea estates, I'm also taking on a tea-picking challenge. As a complete beginner, I'll spend couple of hours picking tea leaves alongside the local community to see just how much I can harvest. I've heard that experienced tea pickers can collect close to 20 kilograms of tea leaves during a working day, so I'm curious to find out how my stamina, determination, and very limited tea-picking skills compare!
Tea picking is physically demanding work, often carried out on steep hillsides and in challenging weather conditions. Through this experience, I hope to gain a greater appreciation of the resilience, perseverance, and hard work required to support families and communities across Sri Lanka's tea-growing regions. If the weather is wet, I may even have to contend with the occasional leech along the way!
This challenge isn't about competing with experienced tea pickers. It's about learning, understanding, and standing in solidarity with the communities that Tea Leaf Trust serves.
Every donation, no matter the amount, will help Tea Leaf Trust continue providing educational opportunities, practical skills training, IT equipment for online classes in remote areas, and emotional support to young people working towards brighter futures. Funds raised help support students where the need is greatest.
By sponsoring me, you'll not only be supporting my tea-picking challenge, but you'll also be investing in the potential of talented young people and helping to strengthen communities across Central region of Sri Lanka.
Thank you so much for your support. This truly means a lot to the youth, opening doors to new opportunities and a brighter future. 🤍
