From Crop to Cup: The Women Behind Your Daily Brew

Behind every cup of tea is the story of someone who picked it – often in tough conditions, where poor eyesight can mean lost income, reduced productivity, or even the end of their ability to work. This year, on International Tea Day, we’re highlighting the women who make your daily cup possible – and the challenges they face. The 2025 theme, “Honouring women around the world, from crop to cup,” highlights their vital role in the tea industry – many working long hours, without access to essential services like eye care.

It’s more than a drink – it’s a livelihood. Over 13 million people around the globe rely on tea production to survive. For many of the world’s poorest communities, tea is a lifeline – supporting rural economies, reducing poverty, and offering food security where it’s needed most.

Yet, the very people who bring us this comfort are often working in the shadows, without access to even the most basic healthcare – including eye care.

In the lush, green tea gardens of Sylhet, Bangladesh, Pobi starts her day before sunrise, handpicking tea leaves under the sweltering sun. She used to collect 30–40 kg of tea a day – tea pickers are paid by the weight they gather, making every kilo a vital source of income for her extended family.

But when her vision began to fade, her world started closing in.

“It must be age,” her family said – a common belief in the tea gardens, where eye care is simply not available. The local health centre didn’t offer treatment for vision problems, and like many others, Pobi had no choice but to accept what felt like a slow, inevitable decline.

As her sight worsened, so did her ability to work. Her tea leaf collection dropped to just 8–10 kg per day. With it, her family’s income shrank. Their future looked uncertain.

In many tea-growing communities, eye health is a silent crisis. Workers like Pobi are exposed to dust, sunlight, and strain daily, but:

• Access to eye care services is extremely limited.

• Awareness is low – many don’t know that vision loss can be treated.

• Traditional remedies and taboos often delay real medical help.

• No referral systems connect rural workers to urban clinics.

The result? Preventable blindness, loss of income, and worsening poverty.

That’s where Orbis stepped in.

Through a door-to-door eye screening programme, Orbis is changing lives one visit at a time. Field workers identified bilateral cataracts in both of Pobi’s eyes and referred her for surgery. With support, she underwent successful operations on both eyes – and regained her sight.

“I never thought I would return to a normal life again,” Pobi says. “Now I can see my son, daughters, and grandchildren clearly.”

She’s back to collecting up to 35 kg of tea a day – and her son has even started his own small business, inspired by his mother’s strength.

“Seeing my mother independent again gave me hope. Now, we have a future.”

Next time you brew a cup of tea, think of Pobi.

Behind the flavour and fragrance are real lives, real challenges – and real change that you can be part of. Supporting Orbis means helping women like Pobi keep working, supporting their families, and seeing the world again.

• All tea comes from the same plant: Camellia sinensis – whether it’s black, green, or oolong.

• Tea plants can live for over 100 years – some even 1,000!

• The largest tea bag ever made weighed over 550 lbs – enough for 100,000 cups!

• Most tea is still handpicked to protect leaf quality – like Pobi’s work, it's labour-intensive and delicate.

Every eye saved is a life changed. With your support, Orbis can bring sight – and hope – to more tea workers like Pobi.