Tea India is collaborating in a project assisted by Action Village India which will support 900 girls in rural Indian communities to continue their secondary education. As part of this partnership the Harris Freeman Foundation, a charity set up by Harris Freeman & Co. Inc, the parent company of Tea India, will be providing funds to support the girls’ education.
The company has a long-term commitment to the communities where their teas are sourced and the decision to support Action Village India, with its partner Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK) will help girls aged between 12-17yrs to continue their studies, who would have otherwise dropped out.
Due to discriminatory gender norms the status of women and girls in India remains very low, especially in rural and lower caste communities, where girls carry the burden of child-rearing and domestic duties from an early age, as well as being affected by issues such as son preference, child marriage, early child bearing. Severe poverty also limits their access to and continuation in education. The project will give girls a greater chance of escaping poverty, build their confidence to overcome the barriers inhibiting their empowerment and set them on a path to healthier and more productive lives. It will also contribute to a reduction in child marriage and raise the standard of living for girls and boys, families, and communities.
The project is based in Jharkhand and Bihar both of which are regions with low levels of education, particularly amongst girls. Jharkhand has many tribal populations and both regions are amongst the poorest in India.
The collaboration will be communicated across Tea India’s Masala Chai blend to raise awareness for Action Village India and will be available in store from April 2020.
“Tea India is proud to be part of an organisation which supports such valuable projects. We are also excited about sharing the girls’ progress through their academic year with the Tea India community. Our tea is rooted in India using a traditional family recipe from our Master blender’s family, so it is important to support a project from the blend’s Motherland.” comments Lisa Worthington, Head of Marketing, Tea India.
‘‘Educating a girl is educating a whole family. It is essential to the progressive development of families, communities and countries. However, education is still a distant dream for most girls in villages in Jharkhand and Bihar. Thanks to the support of Tea India and the Harris Freeman Foundation, we can get a step closer to make some of these dreams into a reality.’’ – Esther Trienekens, International Partnerships Director, Action Village India.
