Hello!

We all love a nice, warm cuppa, don't we? Even better if we have some cake or a biscuit to go with it. But how much do we really know about the lives of those who pick our tea? Do we even give where our tea comes from a second thought?

I am heading to Sri Lanka to volunteer to teach English to the children of the Tea Plantation workers. While there, I will do a sponsored tea pick to experience what it is like to work on a Tea Plantation alongside those who spend their whole lives picking tea.

I will pick tea alongside professional tea pickers for 4 hours in a bid to understand the hardship and backbreaking work involved in often extreme conditions in order to earn what equates to a few pounds. The more I pick the more I earn.

After picking tea in the hot sun for 4 hours I will then weigh my tea and get told what salary I would have earned (less than a couple of pounds). My wages will be given to my tea picking mentor. It won't be easy but its something I want to attempt. Here's some things that I didn't know until I signed up to volunteer:

I didn't know for example that 80% of students at the charity's Tea Leaf Vision School live off less than $1 a day, or that this area is a hotspot for suicide in a country that already has the 4th highest suicide rate in the world. Nor did I know that 83% of female tea pickers experience regular domestic violence and 80% of the men are alcoholics. This all creates a pretty hopeless picture... but...

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 reality 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 programme, 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 and positive change.

If you can, please support me in my volunteer work by giving what you can... even the cost of a cup of tea will help! All donations are greatly appreciated.

Thank you and here's hoping we can make a small difference to the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves.