Ms Saritha Kumari has worked as a Tea Leaf Plucker at United Nilgiri Tea Estates in South India for seven years. Originally from Jharkhand, she moved south to the estate with her baby daughter, determined to find steady work and a better future for her family. ‘If we hadn’t come here, we wouldn’t be able to educate our children properly… [back home] in the village, no one studies – there are no facilities,’ she explains.

Education and Safety for Saritha’s Children

Life at the tea growing estate has brought real change for Saritha’s family. Both her daughter and son now attend school, with tuition, uniforms, and meals all provided for free. The Fairtrade Premium funds a daily school bus, which means her children can travel safely to school – especially important in a rural area where wild animals like bears and tigers are a real risk. ‘These days, if there were no bus, we’d be scared—so many wild animals like bears and tigers are coming out of the forests. They’re even attacking people. So if there were no bus, how would the children get to school?’ she says.

Saritha is deeply proud of her children’s ambitions, lighting up when she talks about their dreams: ‘They say they’ll become doctors and police officers… we couldn’t do it, but if they do, wouldn’t that be good?’ 

Building a Better Home

Saritha has worked hard to create a stronger and more resilient home for her family. With support from Fairtrade Premium funds, her household now has clean water, reliable electricity, and secure rooms – essentials that make daily life healthier and more comfortable. The Premium has also provided practical items like a water filter, cookers, cupboards, and a mixer – helping Saritha to make her daily routines safer and more manageable.

These improvements have meant that she has been able to save money, invest in her family’s future, and even support relatives back home. ‘We’ve been able to build proper rooms at home. We’ve even bought a vehicle, and we’re able to send some money back home to our mother,’ she shares. 

‘Here, education is free, we’re saving money, and the company has given us rooms and free electricity too. Water is also free here, so we feel good staying here. That’s why we’ve been here for so long—seven years.’ Through her determination and hard work growing tea, Saritha is building a safer, brighter future for her family.

Looking Ahead

For Saritha and her young children, the sense of security and opportunity is clear. ‘There are many companies out there, but we haven’t seen one like this…’ she says. ‘Fairtrade is supporting our children’s education. Our children should study well… [they] should have a future. Through them, our future will move forward.’

Saritha’s story is one of determination and hope – proof that with the right support, families can build brighter and safer futures for the next generation.