We all love a nice, warm cup of tea, don't we? But how much do we really know about the lives of those who pick our tea?

We are doing a sponsored tea pick to find out. We will pick tea alongside professional tea pickers for four hours. It is tough work in hot, and sunny weather (but the work doesn’t stop if it rains either!) We will then weigh our tea and get told what salary we would have earned. The wage will then be given to our tea picking mentor.

Here are some quick facts about the area/tea picking communities:
-80% of students at the charity's Tea Leaf Vision School live off less than $1 a day
-The area is a hotspot for suicide in a country that already has the 4th highest suicide rate in the world
-83% of female tea pickers experience regular domestic violence
-80% of the men struggle with alcoholism

Tea Leaf Trust work in the heart of the tea plantations in Sri Lanka, helping young people to gain the skills required to get employment away from the harsh conditions of the tea estate industry. The school offers free, full-time diplomas for students between the ages of 18 and 24. In return, and as part of the program, the students themselves teach Basic English to over 1,800 children a week for free!

Over 80% of graduates find employment or further education/training within a year and those working earn an average of 50% more than their counterparts. On top of this, these students become ethical leaders in their communities, leading real change.

Please give what you are happy and able to! Education has the power to change lives.