NEW YORK CITY, NY
The United Nations Association's 7th Annual Humanitarian Gala last week recognized Tetulia tea for its innovative-cattle lending and literacy programs that aid Bangladeshi women and children.
The theme of this year's black-tie event at the Union Club in mid-town Manhattan was "Changing the World: Partnerships in Maternal and Child Health." Organizations that have improved life expectancy and quality of life for women and children in the developing world were cited by keynote speaker Dr. Julio Frank, Dean of the Faculty, Harvard School of Public Health and former Minister of Health of Mexico.
“We are so humbled to be able to participate in this year’s UNA Humanitarian Gala dinner,” said Linda Appel Lipsius, co-founder of Teatulia. “It has been our mission since the beginning to not only remain environmentally sustainable, but to provide economic sustainability and prosperity for the Bangladeshi community that makes our teas possible.”
Attendees all received a gift basket of USDA Certified Tetulia teas.
Citations include Johnson & Johnson for their leadership in maternal and child health: Every Mother, Every Child. Christy Turlington Burns, founder of Every Mother Counts, was also cited for her vision and advocacy to briing worldwide attention to the educational needs of children.
Tetulia's dairy cooperative in northern Bangladesh help women achieve financial independence without relying on micro-loans. Cows, which generate income but are expensive to obtain, are exchanged for time spent maintaining the tea garden. Members pay back the loan using proceeds from milk and dung, which is used to fertilize the tea garden. The goal is to assist entrepreneurial women achieve "shopner bari" the Bengali words for "ideal home."