The Tea Leaf Trust opened the doors to its full-time Centre for Professional Development in January 2010. Currently we teach 115 students the skills needed to gain employment away from the back-breaking generational tea plucking and cultivation that many of the youth in the Maskeliya region will no doubt enter into without some form further education.
As our centre offers its one-year Professional Development course free of charge, it means that the poorest now have access to courses such as professional English, I.T. and Business, which they would not be able to afford otherwise.
Our Centre will also start its Outreach Basic English Programme in May 2010, bringing basic English to over 1000 7-12 year olds on the tea plantations and rural farmlands in and around Maskeliya. Many of these Estates and Farmland communities are difficult to get to, because of the rough terrain and so we will go to the local communities to teach, giving these youngsters a good grounding in the English Language.
We are asking people for a monthly donation of £15. It costs the Tea Leaf Trust £15 a month to have one student at the centre. These costs include water, electricity, stationary, rent, educational resources and teaching. This money also covers the resources for teaching and monitoring 10 children on the Community English Outreach Programme (each student teaches approximately 10 children - see our projects section for more information). Your £15 will enable us to continue to bring vital skills to both the youth and children in and around Maskeliya, which is fast becoming a vital provision for this mainly manual-labour community.
Our Tea Leaf Vision Centre for Professional Development is providing the hard skills needed to gain better-paid employment in offices and businesses. It also allows the students of different ethnicities a chance to understand one other, mix and makes friends. Its provides our students with hope that they can break the cycle of poverty and help their families rise out of the harsh conditions that they live in.
Sponsor a student for £20 a month
Many of those who study with us face opposition from their parents, because attending our classes means the loss of a wage, even though in the long run the parents acknowledge that it will improve their children's chances of getting well-paid sustainable employment.
As a sponsor, you will receive information about your student's situation and exactly what your money will be paying for. You will also receive updates on how well your sponsored student is doing, as well as a letter from your sponsored student so that you can get to know them better.
Case studies:
These are just a few examples of our students. We hope to bring you more throughout the year.
To make a regular donation to either the centre or a student, click below:
Sponsoring our events
We also require funding for our Centre's educational activities, which forms a critical part of our higher educational curriculum. These activities have been designed to:
- Give our students the confidence to be able to use their newly found English skills
- To address issues that are prevalent in this community, i.e. alcoholism, sexual inequality, gender-based violence and suicide
- To boost our students self-esteem, so that they realise that they are valued human beings with much to offer to their families and communities
Please take a look at the list of our educational activities below. The name and a brief description of the activities are given, along with the cost of each event. We hope to be able to run these activities every year. If you would like to give a one off donation to any events click:
|
Project |
Description |
Benefit |
No. of Beneficiaries |
Cost |
|
Children's Summer Activities |
A two-week range of activities for
vulnerable children who have never experienced a holiday and spend these
periods with no parental supervision. Alcoholism in these communities is an
astounding 70 to 85% and this leads to huge problems within communities,
particularly during holiday periods |
This programme will see the children improve their skills and confidence and remove them from bad influences and fractious relationships. It will sow the seeds of aspiration for the future |
500 will
be targeted |
£550 for
two weeks |
|
Talent Show |
All 115
students of the full-time Diploma Course will organise and perform a variety
of dramas, songs and dances for their communities, each with a relevant
educational message regarding issues within their societies |
Raising
awareness of key issues such as alcoholism, suicide and domestic violence
amongst these under-educated communities |
115
students and 450 members of different communities |
£350 for
all rehearsals and two performances |
|
Speech Banquet |
An evening where students learn both about business and professional etiquette and have the opportunity to give formal speeches to the school as part of the English Speech curriculum |
Preparing
the students from rural communities for the expectations of the professional
workplace. First time they have used knives and forks as well as had to
behave in a professional manner. Develop confidence in English Speech |
115
students |
£215 for
the transport, decoration, venue hire and formal dinner |
|
Business Fair |
Each
class is given a small budget and develops three micro-businesses. Students
undertake all of the planning based upon their formal Business lectures and
are responsible for bringing in a profit at the Business Fair |
An
opportunity to put theory into practice. As well as heightening confidence
and deepening their understanding, this is another opportunity to involve
community and show benefits of the school |
115
students |
£250 to
give start-up budget to 6 classes, printing invitations, leaflets and
business brochures designed by students |
|
Graduation |
These
students and their families have sacrificed an additional income to attend
the school, which is demanding and challenging on every level. The Graduation
Ceremony is a community celebration and a recognition of the struggle that
these students overcome, some of them walk 20 kms every day to attend the
school |
To give
them a visible demonstration of their achievement and boost their confidence
and self-belief. To show the family and community how much they have learnt
and changed and how bright their futures now are |
All
graduates and their families (300 people) |
£320 for
venue hire, prizes, decorations, diplomas, photographs etc |