Meat once a month?!
Can you imagine being only able to eat meat once a month? Yet most of the workers of the tea plantations can only afford to ear meat once a month due to inancial constraints.
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Their daily diet usually consist of rotti, curry, rice, hoppers and grains; meat and fruits are not the essence in their meals, not to mention snacks. Consumption of meat is rare, usually for a more modest family, they can only afford chicken or beef once a week after receiving their monthly wages. Tea dust - which is the tea of the lowest quality but of the strongest taste - are usually provided to the workers for free, so they can also enjoy the fruits of their labour!
In the global trend, access to nutritions should be easier compared to befire, yet some family mentioned how the rising cost of living makes it more difficult for family to afford meat, increasing the possibility of malnutrition or other health problems in children than the previous generations. A lot of the families are more concerned about the lower quality of food, since more chemicals are used to plant the food the people eat nowadays.
Certain families could afford to use a gas stove, some continue to use firewood to cook. Some say food cooked with firewood taste better. Nonetheless, it is easy to speculate respiratory problems for them in the long-run. Gas stove are more expensive than firewood in the long-term for maintenance and gas supply. Most line houses have a separate kitchen, however, there are some families that keep their gas stove inside their bedrooms, as having a raw fire beside gas bottles are dangerous.
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How about water sources then, you may ask? Statistics wise, the numbers may look good. However, when you see for yourself the real situation, there is no telling whether the families do have secure water sources or not.
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Around 75% of the population gets water from a secure and protected sources, and around 50% gets their water from taps, while others obtain their water from wells and some from rivers or other sources. The photos show the usual kind of taps a family gets if they are provided one. However, water supply usually comes alternately from line to line, some in the mornings, some at night, even if they have a tap. Most population no longer need to walk far distances to get water, but such taps does not mean a secure access of water. When you want to cook and you have no water, how would you feel? Yet they already get used to this.
To protect the workers, various tea certifications are created to guarantee a better quality of life for workers in the tea estates. Learn the promises behind the labels and logos on your tea, show your care to the ones who contributed to the fine tea. When you look at the pack of tea, it is never going to be the same again; it is more than a product, but the people who work hard to support their family and make you the finest beverage.
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