The Tea Leaf Trust is raising funds to develop the skill set of Staff Development Manager (Mr Chanderasegaran) through the CELTA course offered by The British Council in Sri Lanka. This course will increase the capacity of the Central Team to effectively train 52 teachers across five centres (Maskeliya, Bogawantalawa, Nuwara Eliya, Udapussalawa, Pussalawa) improving their delivery of teaching English to young people from the most marginalised group in Sri Lanka – tea estate communities. Through this training program, the overall quality of teaching will improve, enabling the young people served to have an even better chance of finding ethical employment and escape the generational exploitation that their families live under.

Tea Leaf Trust anticipates that over 500 students can be helped through teacher capacity training. This professional development opportunity is critical to the mission of improving English language education for young people from marginalized tea estate communities in Sri Lanka. By equipping Mr. Chanderasegaran with advanced training capabilities, Tea Leaf Trust aims to elevate the overall quality of instruction provided by the organization’s 52 teachers across five educational centers. English is an essential skill in Sri Lanka, serving as the international language critical to both employment and social cohesion. Proficiency in English opens doors to employment opportunities and empowers individuals to break free from cycles of generational poverty and exploitation. Unfortunately, the education system serving tea estate communities often provides substandard English education, perpetuating a dependent, uneducated workforce and ensuring ongoing poverty.

The CELTA course, administered by The British Council, represents the pinnacle of training available for senior teachers and managers. It is specifically designed to train individuals to support and develop other teachers effectively. By completing this rigorous program, Mr. Chanderasegaran will gain invaluable skills in lesson planning, language analysis, and teacher support, significantly boosting our Central Team’s capacity to train and mentor our teaching staff.

Additional detail on use of funds: British Council Course Fee = 40% Board and Lodging = 25% Laptop and Internet for study = 25% Travel to and from Colombo (12 hr round trip) = 10%

Tea Leaf Trust (TLT) aims to facilitate the development of tea estate communities through practical and relevant education that addresses their needs for both the job market and building coping strategies and resilience. The curriculum emphasises English language proficiency, Careers and Enterprise, I.T., Public Speaking, professionalism, employment support, community service, personal development, and emotional health. What makes Tea Leaf Trust unique is that all five centres are run by staff under the age of 35, all of whom are graduates of the programme themselves. These centres are run by young people for young people. As they are from the local tea estates, they serve as strong, positive role models with an in-depth insight into their students’ lives. In 2023, Tea Leaf Trust (TLT) significantly impacted the community it serves through various programmes.

The Main Diploma (MD) programme, a one-year, full-time English-immersive course for 18-26-year-olds. This programme emphasises leadership and emotional resilience, preparing students for a positive community impact. Main Diploma students have made a substantial difference through initiatives such as the Children’s English Programme (CEP), reaching 4,763 children. Service Projects have benefited 115,697 community members across all three terms, focusing on cleaning public places, individual service projects include providing egg-laying hens to poor families, supplying food to children and elders’ homes, teaching community children free of charge, and donating books to their local community library. For Term Three Group Service Project, awareness programmes including street dramas addressing child abuse, were carried out in key areas where students have reported specific issues. Additionally, Main Diploma students have managed the Children’s Activity Programme (CAP), impacting 5,225 kids in estate communities. Beyond the Main Diploma, the Women’s Rights Self-Help Groups have made a significant impact, reaching 560 women along with 826 children. The Tea Leaf Trust Teacher Training Programme has proven beneficial, with Cohort 5 comprising 24 teachers and 1375 students, and Cohort 6 consisting of 26 teachers and 1330 students this year. Additionally, the Basic English Programme had participation from 456 individuals, while the Three-Month Soft Skills Programme had 77 participants, providing extended educational opportunities. Notably, the newest project, Collective Action Against Period Poverty (CAAPP), has benefited 72 women from the two Women’s Rights Self-Help Groups in Mocha Estate, and 13 female staff from Tea Leaf Trust.