Since March 16, the island of Luzon has been under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and has affected the lives of 57 million people in the Philippines. The limited mobility has caused the loss of income for the majority of those whose sources of livelihood require them to be on the site of production, or are part of the informal economy.
Our tea community in Calauan, Laguna is not exempted from this harrowing experience. Due to COVID-19 cases identified within the Calauan resettlement area, the whole village, including our tea community partners, is subjected to a stringent quarantine. The quarantine set-up protects the residents from spreading the virus; however this set-up has prevented our tea makers from generating their daily income and disabled our partner farmers to protect their farms from the summer drought. These farms not only serve the community as their source of harvest for our fine teas, but also provide sustenance to the community as an internal source of fresh produce.
To assist our tea community in addressing the current challenges of lockdown, we have set up a relief fund to cover the basic needs of around 15 tea makers and 50 herbal farmers. We also used this fund to support other vulnerable residents of the Calauan resettlement, especially the single mothers and those with zero income due to the lockdown.
Through the relief fund, we aim to continue providing food relief packs of mostly rice, vegetables, and canned goods. We also aim to sustain our cash allowances to our women makers of tea who need to purchase necessities for their family and for their reproductive health.
Our teas have been the main lifeline for our tea makers and their families. Despite the suspension of our production due to the quarantine, we hope to continue to support our herbal tea community in Calauan. If you wish to support our community, you can deposit your donations through the following accounts:
Account Name: Kapwa Greens Lifestyle Inc.
Account Number: 9600-0052-67
Irish D. Purificacion
09065040858
With every donation, we offer a simple gratitude token of a 20-minute yoga class to be led by our resident yogini, Teacher Denise. We will send you a link to this class once we receive your support. We hope that this yoga class could contribute to your wellness by fostering a sense of peace and calmness amidst these anxious times of pandemic.
Your generosity will go a long way in saving our herbal community from hunger and distress.
