Zhena's Gypsy Tea, Raspberry Earl, 22-Count Tea Sachets (Pack of 6)
In 2000, Zhena's son, Sage, was born with a severe birth defect, which would result in a series of surgeries. At that time, Zhena had no health insurance to cover the surgeries and very little income from her young writing career. "In my desperation and heartache, I prayed for an answer. How could I raise my son, who would need special care every day from now on due to his condition, and still work and keep us fed and in a home?" Zhena said. "The words 'Gypsy Tea' answered me."Zhena Muzyka, founder of Zhena's Gypsy Tea"My grandmother was a Gypsy from a little village in the Ukrainian countryside and her parents were trapeze artists in the Moscow Circus. Together they walked through war-torn Ukraine during World War II to escape and they walked all the way into Germany and then after many years came to America. What resourcefulness and strength they had! I looked at their traumas and realized, if they could do that, I could do just about anything.""So, I borrowed enough money to buy a catering cart, I wheeled it into my friend's antique store, and with Sage in a baby carrier, I began selling my organic blend teas."Five years later, and four operations later, Sage is a thriving young boy and Gypsy Tea is a thriving young company. Through Fair Trade activism, they give the women in their tea fields guaranteed maternity leave, healthcare, and childcare--"all of the things I needed when I had my own baby," Zhena said. "I realize now how much of a difference I can make as a business owner with an understanding of human need and that I can change a small part of the world and improve people's lives. I am so grateful for this opportunity."Zhena's Gypsy Tea is located in Ojai, California, and the company's teas come from Fair Trade, organic gardens in Sri Lanka, India, and China. The Fair Trade criteria that Gypsy Tea follows includes: paying a fair wage in the local context, offering employees opportunities for advancement, providing equal employment opportunities, engaging in an environmentally sustainable practices, being open to public accountability, building long-term trade relationships, providing healthy and safe working conditions within the local context, providing financial and technical assistance to producers whenever possible, and ensuring that there is no abuse of child labor.