For every 250-gram retail bag of Prana Chai sold, the Melbourne based natural chai supplier will donate $2 towards Mukti Australia: a charity dedicated to helping disadvantaged women and children in India and Sri Lanka.
Mutki Australia functions through its partner in India, called Pandita Ramabai Mukti Mission, which seeks to transform the lives of girls through education, and through its partner in Sri Lanka called Wings of Hope, which helps provide education for both girls and boys.
In India, hardships due to poverty, gender inequality, and early marriage results in girls leaving school early and increased health risks from early childbirth, trafficking and sexually transmitted diseases.
The Pandita Ramabai Mukti Mission seeks to support the education, health, and wellbeing of vulnerable girls.
“Education changes the world, and gives girls the power of choice. When we educate girls, we change their lives, protect their health, and help them lift entire families out of poverty,” says Vincent Conti, Co-founder of Prana Chai.
In Sri Lanka, Wings of Hope provides education to boys and girls in tea picking regions through after school tuition, healthy snacks, health care, and school supplies. Wellbeing programs are also available for families.
Vincent from Prana Chai is aware that buying tea from reputable sources, which forms the basis of Prana Chai, isn’t always enough to disrupt the cycle of poverty experienced by many workers.
“Due to colonial-era wage policies still prevalent in India, even ethically traded tea could have been picked by workers earning less than US$2 a day,” says Vincent.
“We, like many coffee and tea businesses, often feel helpless as we have limited control over how the money we pay is distributed along the supply chain.”
Vincent says that while Prana Chai will continue to take ethical sourcing seriously, the company wanted to go beyond to raise funds and awareness for a cause connected to the tea industry and close to Prana Chai hearts.
With the charity focusing on girls, Prana Chai states this is due to the poverty migrant workers face having a disproportionate effect on girls.
“This, and the fact that all three founders have daughters, helped us make that choice,” says Vincent.
Prana Chai has partnered with Mutki Australia, a registered Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission charity, to ensure good governance.
If you’d like to make a donation or for more information, please click here.
