The Problem
The local population of Nuwara Eliya is one of the poorest and most marginalised groups in Sri Lanka. According to the UNDP report, the highest rate of poverty, 30.02%, is in the Nuwara Eliya district.1 The majority of the population are tea plantation workers.
For many of the people in the Nuwara Eliya district, tea picking is their only option for employment, and whilst conditions are improving with the advent of fair trade tea and monitoring of conditions of tea pickers by various charities, it is still poorly paid, which detrimentally impacts on living conditions and health.
The cycle of poverty as a result of poorly paid work means that many of these people are illiterate or educated up to just a primary or junior secondary level, leaving education early to earn money for their families.
Local Employment
There are other employment options in the local area e.g. hoteliers, guest houses, garment factories and teaching positions. Research into local business requirements by the Tea Leaf Trust has revealed that many would prefer to employ the local people of Nuwara Eliya, however because of the need for employees with basic English and relevant vocational skills, people outside the area are often brought in to work.
The Solution
The Tea Leaf Trust is a UK based charity (no: 1123427) working to establish a community centre that will provide free English, IT and vocational training for the local community, particularly the youth in the Nuwara Eliya district. This centre does not distinguish by ethnic group or faith. Through a structured programme of English and vocational training coupled with job brokerage we aim to place students into better paid employment which has job prospects.
The centre will be set up in partnership with a local NGO called Beacon Hill Academy, which has worked in the region for the past 6 years. The Beacon Hill Academy offers a free one-year “mini-university†education taught entirely in the medium of English. It has had remarkable success with almost 100% of the students finding employment in trainee management roles each year, bringing a significant increase to the household income. However, the academy is struggling to cope with the demand that sees over 200 applications annually for only 60 places. Worryingly, 65% of the applicants, often the most deprived, are turned away due to their poor level of English.
In January 2009 Tim Pare, an Employment Advice Manager, with previous experience in both education and social work, and his wife Dr Yasmene Shah, both Trustees, will be relocating to Nuwara Eliya. They will commit long-term to establish and manage the school, building the programme to make it sustainable for the future.
For further information please contact the Tea Leaf Trust at [email protected] or Tim on 07904 317226.
