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Vanakum, Ayubowan and Hello! 🍃

This month, across Sri Lanka’s tea estates, something powerful has been unfolding. In our classrooms, young people are finding their voice. In communities, they are stepping forward to serve. And in stories like Alumni Sivakumar’s, we see what becomes possible when resilience meets opportunity.

Thankyou for being with us on this mission. Enjoy reading about the impact we’re having together.

The TLT Team

A Community of Growth

At the heart of every Tea Leaf lesson is a simple goal: to equip students with the knowledge and tools they need to build a different future. Alongside skills and knowledge, we are committed to strengthening emotional resilience by giving young people the tools to navigate challenges, process their experiences, and build a sense of hope.

Students take part in a paradigm lesson at Tea Leaf Centre Ragala

Everything is taught in English. Not just as a subject, but as a lived experience. Students learn to express their ideas and communicate with clarity and confidence.

Over time, we see the difference. Students who once sat quietly at the back begin to speak up. They ask questions. They start to believe that they are capable of more. And with that belief comes the opportunity to find meaningful, stable employment and to better support their families.

But at Tea Leaf, education goes beyond employability.

Groupwork is a a core part of learning at Tea Leaf.

As part of our Term 1 Group Service Projects, 470 students and their teachers stepped beyond the classroom to serve others. From cleaning bus stands and schools to clearing roads and railway stations, students identified needs in their communities and took action together.

“Before this, I don't like to clean public places. But while I was cleaning with my friends,  I felt something new - something that I still want to do. We cleaned the bus stand. I felt very proud because after that service project public people started to respect me.”Nidhurshan.

Students at TLC Nuwara Eliya clear drainage as part of their service project

These projects are a core part of the Tea Leaf journey and the impact is best captured in students’ own words:

“This was my first service project. After I felt proud. For the first time, I helped my community, and I made a good environment. My family members greeted me and I felt very happy.” Shara

For many, this is the first time they experience the impact they can have, not just for themselves, but for others. Even amid their own challenges, they begin to see that they have something to give.

Alongside this, students have also taken time to learn and connect in different ways. During Movie Day, students came together to watch Paddington, using the opportunity to develop their English listening skills while exploring themes of belonging, kindness, and empathy. Discussions afterwards helped students connect these ideas to their own lives and communities.

At Tea Leaf, growth is not just about what students know. It’s about who they are becoming.

If you believe in the potential of young people like these, we invite you to be part of their journey.

Humans of the tea estates
Sivakumar

At 16 years old, Sivakumar made a decision no young person should have to make. He left school to support his family, stepping into responsibility long before he was ready. Yet today he is a Regional Manager for a sustainable development project, while also completing his final year of study for a psychology degree.

Sivakumar presents at a Non Governmental Organisation meeting

Growing up on a tea estate near Maskeliya, Sivakumar is the youngest of four children from an extremely poor household. With his father unwell, the responsibility of providing fell to his mother, who worked in the tea fields. After completing his O-levels, Sivakumar chose to stop studying: “I couldn’t bear to see my mother struggling alone in the tea fields, working so hard and sacrificing everything for the family while I stood by as a young person. So I wanted to carry some of that burden.”

He began working to support his family, but even in that season, he continued his A-level studies, supported by a teacher who provided books and guidance for free. But when his grandmother passed away on the day of his exam, he missed it and with it, the opportunity to continue. He left education behind and moved to Colombo for work. Life remained difficult, and when his mother became unwell, Sivakumar returned home. He found a job as a bus conductor:  “In this job, there are no strict rules or restrictions. I could take leave to support my family whenever necessary. I was able to earn more than Rs. 300 per day, with lunch provided and I could also travel for free. These things were a big support for me.”

Sivakumar teaching IT at TLC Maskeliya

It was on that bus that his life began to change.

One of Sivakumar’s regular passengers was a trainee teacher from Tea Leaf, Ms Ragunandhini. He watched her speak English with the students and guide them; Sivakumar admired the way she carried herself. “Eventually, I gathered the courage to speak with her and that small interaction motivated me to restart my studies. One day (in 2015), I parked the bus nearby and went to visit the Tea Leaf Centre, and they were kind enough to provide me with a place on the Main Diploma.”

Like many students, Sivakumar’s family needed his income. He would work in the morning before school, study at Tea Leaf until 2.30 PM and then return to work on the buses. “I didn’t have time to go home, so I often slept on the bus at night. Most of the time, I did my homework, assignments, and DJ tasks on the bus. I even borrowed a keyboard and I practised typing on the bus. “I didn’t want to misuse the opportunity TLC gave me. I made sure to use it fully.”

Sivakumar teaching at the Pioneer Centre in Palmerston

After graduating from Tea Leaf, Sivakumar secured a job in Saudi Arabia. What began as a role as an office boy quickly changed. “The English I learned at Tea Leaf helped me not only to go there but also to get promoted as a Sales Manager. I worked there for four years, earning a good wage and valuable experience.”

In 2019, Sivakumar’s contract in Saudi Arabia was coming to an end. During his annual leave, he visited the Tea Leaf Business Fair with his family. He decided to return to Tea Leaf to gain experience in teaching and project management. Starting as a volunteer teacher in 2020, he grew into a full-time teacher and helped pioneer a centre in the heart of Palmerston Estate. “I learned a huge amount from my Principal, Miss Mathews, during that time. Of course, the key teaching skills and knowledge, but more importantly, how to live and inspire the values and culture of Tea Leaf.”

Later, Sivakumar was promoted to the role of Teacher Trainer at TLC Maskeliya, recruited because of his emotional intelligence. As young people living on the tea estates, what the staff team needed was not just a professional trainer but an emotional guide. Sivakumar empowered every staff member and built strong bonds within the team. “I was able to change the mindset of those who had thoughts of giving up, and I helped them grow into strong personalities and reach better positions today. I am truly proud that Tea Leaf gave me the platform to learn and implement this.”

Sivakumar with beneficiaries of the sustainable development project

How has your time with TLT impacted your current situation?

“As a child, I was able to study well, but I was a very introverted person. I used to sit at the back of the class and kept to myself. I came from poverty and a broken background, someone who had nowhere to go. Yet it was Tea Leaf that believed in me, gave me guidance to take control of my own life, and provided countless opportunities to grow.”

Success and Ethics (our emotional health curriculum) was a huge inspiration for Sivakumar. Its aim is to give young people the tools to take control of their lives, to overcome hardships and become mentally strong. “I loved teaching my students how to turn weaknesses into strengths. In 2020, I had a major accident which left me with serious head injuries. I was bedridden for six months. What hurt me more than the pain was the fact that no one came forward to give me first aid. I often thought that if someone had helped me at that moment, I might not have suffered as much. That experience taught me a valuable lesson about the importance of first aid to a community. I decided to take first-aid training seriously, and today I am a professional first aider and train many others.”

Can you join us as a monthly donor?

Sivakumar’s journey is a powerful reminder of what can happen when a young person is given opportunity, and chooses, despite everything, to step into it.
From covering emergency bus fares to supporting a teacher’s salary, your gift will provide opportunities for young people like Sivakumar, ensuring they can study and go on to transform lives.

Donate via UK standing order (details below), or click on the photo above to donate via our international portal, Global Giving.

Account Name: Tea Leaf Trust

Bank: CAF Bank

Sort Code: 40-52-40

Account Number: 00036635

Thanks to the huge generosity of the Rotary Club of Sidcup, we’ve been able to provide five young people with teacher training places for 2026. Young women like Mohanavani below.

The support from Sidcup Rotarians will cover their teaching, examination fees and resources as well as a contribution towards their bus fare, lunches and professional clothing - reducing the pressure on their families and ensuring that they can complete the year.

Jim Chambers, International Chair for Sidcup Rotary, explained the motivation for their support: “We have had a long association with Tea Leaf, and I have personal affection for the area, having visited it in the past and seen how some of the population desperately need help.  

Supporting Tea Leaf whilst enjoying a social get together was a bonus, offering us a good feeling that we were able to offer some sustainable benefit to the Tamil communities through education.”

Are you a Rotarian?
Partner with us to equip the next generation of teachers and create sustainable impact in underserved communities.

Volunteer Spotlight
Sushila

Sushila leads staff training with Tea Leaf's Director of Education

Sushila is an in-house lawyer who was keen to find a charity to call home and volunteer for the long term. Earlier this year, she extended a family visit to spend two weeks supporting our teams in Sri Lanka. Since returning to the UK, she’s continued to support Tea Leaf through fundraising and awareness-raising.

How did you become connected with Tea Leaf?

I reached out to Tim (Co-founder) on LinkedIn. The time he and others in Tea Leaf gave me, left me with a really personal connection to the organisation. Knowing the people, the values and the ethics behind Tea Leaf really drew me in. I can’t commit huge amounts of time, but what I can commit is valued by the organisation, which means a lot.  There is a real willingness to use people who want to give, even if they don't know how best to give their time and skills. When you go to the centres in Sri Lanka, it’s the same: you don't have to be a teacher, but Tea Leaf will utilise the skills of volunteers to make it beneficial for everyone involved.

Sushila with Tea Leaf staff at Tea Leaf Centre Nuwara Eliya

How did your experience inspire you to stay connected?

In life, I think we all need a safe and supportive environment to help us grow. School was that place for me.

When I visited the Tea Leaf Centres, I saw how Tea Leaf really offers these young people this place of safety: they can make mistakes, they can learn and grow. Knowing that the time I commit to volunteering in the UK is contributing to providing safe spaces for young people in Sri Lanka, makes me feel really happy. Everyone deserves to feel loved and cared for.

Want to hear more from our volunteers?

Click on the image above and explore our short and longer-term volunteering opportunities in Sri Lanka, available year-round.

Interested in volunteering? Contact us to learn more and arrange a chat.