ON THE MESA
Dana Huston-Chen '20
Scholarships for children of Chinese tea farmers
Dana Huston-Chen '20 is part of an entirely student-run social enterprise, Xiaohusai Tea, which works to better the lives of tea farmers in a village in Yunnan, China. Founded in 2016, Xiaohusai Tea sources organic tea straight from the Xiaohusai village plantations, and 100 percent of the profits go towards a scholarship fund for tea farmers’ children. “I applied for the Mark Metherell '87 Memorial Service Challenge because the grant would greatly benefit our organization which aims to empower children, who represent our next generation, to gain an education and break their family’s poverty cycle,” Dana said. Instead of using the grant to directly pay tuition for the sponsored children, Dana invested the money into the business’s growth to earn greater capital for the scholarship fund. Typically relying on raising money through the sale of their products – organic Pu’er and black loose-leaf tea – the pandemic prompted Dana to adapt and adjust, focusing efforts on product innovation and market expansion.
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CATE B ULLET IN / S PRING 2021
Dana and Xiaohusai Tea used the grant to launch two new products: Organic Lemon Pu’er Tea Balls and a biodegradable water bottle to supplement the organization’s clothing line. The organization was able to increase supply orders to avoid selling out and update its website to reach more customers. With Shanghai returning to normalcy in June 2020, Xiaohusai Tea was also able to attend events and markets to sell its products. Xiaohusai Tea is now at the capacity to expand its number of scholarships to support at least two more children in school – adding to the four supported currently. In the future, Dana has plans to help the company launch an online store, and film a documentary about the sponsored families, once the pandemic comes to an end.
“ The Mark Metherell '87 Memorial Service Challenge has been a catalyst for the expansion of our NPO, and we are thankful to be supported in our mission. There is without a doubt more growth and development waiting for this organization and the families it supports thanks to the Metherell family.”