“It is really hard to [earn enough to] survive even though five members of the family work in the tea gardens.” Small-scale tea growers, like Rabia, are some of the most vulnerable workers in the tea industry. Because tea leaves need to be processed within two hours of being picked to retain their flavour and freshness, it’s virtually impossible for them to negotiate a fair price with buyers. Traidcraft is working to improve the livelihoods of tea growers and workers like Rabia in some of the poorest and most remote regions of India and Bangladesh.

“I think if we get better prices, most of our problems will be solved. I can repay my debts, build a latrine and send my younger brother for higher education,” says Rabia.

A £10 gift could give a tea worker like Rabia the training and knowledge they need to help secure fairer prices for their tea.

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Photo: Rajendra Shaw

A few years ago, Karshan was struggling to get a fair price for his cotton. A fall in cotton prices was making life tough: over a million people lost their jobs and had to leave their homes to find work. Karshan was one of the lucky ones. Traidcraft has been working with cotton farmers in India to provide practical agricultural support and campaigning with them for fairer working conditions. For cotton farmers like Karshan, this has helped to raise his income by 43 per cent: “I am saving for the future and the development of our family.”

The extra money means that he and his family can afford enough food, healthcare and education – and look forward to a better life.

£15 could train a farmer like Karshan to achieve the best possible livelihood from their cotton.

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Photo: Shalian Parker

The textile industry is vital to Rajasthan, an Indian state where poverty is widespread. The textile industry employs thousands of people, but most artisans live in poverty. Many also face working conditions that are unsafe and a serious risk to their health, such as polluted drinking water. Traidcraft is working with textile artisans to help increase their incomes and ensure safer and cleaner environments in which they work and live

£50 could provide textile artisans with the training and technology they need to improve their working conditions and living environment.

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Photo: Rajendra Shaw

Despite the economic development seen by India, the gap between rich and poor is growing. For many poor people like Sarina, life is hard. Sarina lives in a small house with her parents and three daughters. Despite the long hours she spends weaving, she still struggles to provide food for her family. Developing a fair trade market in India could provide a huge opportunity for producers like Sarina. Helping them to increase their sales and earn better incomes will mean they can put food on the table and send their children to school.

Sarina says, “I struggle to get even half worn clothes for my children. Getting food and education is my prime concern let alone medicines and uniform. Looking after my parents and children is my utmost priority.”

£150 could help promote this pioneering project to policy makers and consumers in India and help achieve a brighter future for many thousands of producers like Sarina.

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Photo: Rajendra Shaw

What happens when you choose a Gift for Life that keeps on giving?