You can help support some great back-to-school initiatives and enjoy some delicious new teas at the same time! Every kid deserves that rush of new school supply giddiness. In the spirit of back to school, we’re excited to highlight two tea companies that not only produce tasty teas, but are also guided by important humanitarian missions. When you shop these tea brands, you support their philanthropic programs to provide education and support for children in need.
Interested in supporting these worthy causes, but not sure where to start? Below we’ve put together an overview of the mission of each brand plus a roundup of four top-rated teas to guide you.
Remember: No gesture is too small to have a big impact. And that’s the tea.
AJIRI TEA
100% of profits from Ajiri premium African teas fund education for orphans in Kenya.
Founded in 2009, Ajiri Tea is a women-owned and women-run business that started with the social mission of creating employment for women in western Kenya, and providing educational opportunities. Ajiri comes from the Swahili word "to employ." They specialize in Kenyan tea handpicked on small-scale farms and employ women in the Kisii district of western Kenya to handcraft the labels that package each box of tea! All profits from the sales of Ajiri Tea are donated to the Ajiri Foundation to pay school fees for orphans in western Kenya.
The Ajiri Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 not-for-profit that provides school fees, school supplies, living supplies, mentorship, programming, and additional support for 30 orphans in western Kenya. The Ajiri Foundation sponsors children in primary and secondary school - once they sponsor a child, they commit to sponsoring the student through secondary school. Some additional programming includes counseling, peer-mentoring, and computer classes. Each box of tea purchased helps to open up a world of opportunities to a student in Kenya.
TWO TEAS THAT WE LOVE
KENYAN BLACK TEA Sips by AJIRI TEA
This robust and smooth black tea is strong enough to help you take on the day and polite enough to give you an afternoon lift. It is grown in the Kisii Hills of Western Kenya, an area known for its abundant rainfall and fertile soil.
KENYAN BLACK TEA WITH MANGO Sips by AJIRI TEA
A full-bodied and smooth black tea with a hint of mango. Great over ice!
Visit Ajiri Tea and use code SIPSBY for 15% off. Click here to learn more about donating to the Ajiri Foundation.
Photo Credit: Ajiri Tea
NEPAL TEA
Nepal tea will donate 25% of profits from all online sales in August to provide scholarships to the inaugural class for their new school in Nepal.
Nepal Tea brings the finest, organic and high mountain teas from the foothills of Mt. Kanchanjangha, the third highest mountain in the world. They take responsibility for the entire supply chain – from production to packaging and distribution – and eliminate the middlemen who provide sub-par values to poor farmers in Nepal while increasing costs for the consumers. They not only empower their farmers economically by providing them better revenues, but also uplift them socially by providing free housing and free education to their children and distributing cows for additional income.
Out of Nepal’s estimated population of 30 million, only about 39% is literate. Realizing the need for proper education for the overall development of the Nation, the Kanchanjangha Tea Estate (KTE) initiated a Scholarship program in 2002 to all the children of the small farmers of Panchthar District. Scholarships are provided to all children of the farmers to study in the local English Boarding School and the Community School. To date, they have provided 2300 students with scholarships, and 93 are currently on this year’s program. With the number of students growing each year, Nepal Tea plans to make the model sustainable through their “Adopt from Abroad” program, which allows interested people to cover the expenses of a single child and follow along with his or her study reports. Additionally, Nepal Tea has recently finished building a new school and will be starting the academic year in April! Founder Nischal Banskota and his wife, who were married this June, have allocated most of their wedding funds received as gifts towards the scholarship of the first class of this new school. Nepal Tea will also be donating 25% of profits from all August online sales to the inaugural class of the new school!
TWO TEAS THAT WE LOVE
NEPALI BREAKFAST Sips by NEPAL TEA
Start the day the Nepalese way with this unique Masala Chiyah featuring a delicious homemade masala chai mix.
Brew with milk and/or sugar for enhanced taste! Bring 1 cup water to a rolling boil. Add .5-1 tbsp sweetener (optional). Once sweetener is dissolved, add 2 tbsp tea. Boil for 5 min. Add 1 cup of your milk of choice. Bring to a boil again. Remove from heat, steep for 5 min, strain, and enjoy!
KANCHANJANGHA NOIR Sips by NEPAL TEA
This tea has a distinct brisk flavor with a deep and vibrant reddish-brown infusion. The high elevation of the tea bushes results in a fresh fruity/flowery aroma with hints of caramel.
Visit Nepal Tea and use code SIPSBY for 20% off. One lucky customer from August will receive a free gift hamper from Nepal Tea! Click here to learn more about Nepal Tea's Scholarship Project and Adopt from Abroad Program.
Photo Credit: Nepal Tea
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