Women in tea: Brewing change in Uganda

It all began with Nyabuhara Julian Rugyereza, a determined woman with the idea that women in Uganda’s tea industry could do more than just pick leaves for other organisations. As chairlady of Women in Tea Uganda, she leads a growing network of over 1,200 women from 26 districts who are changing the way tea and opportunity is grown.

For years, these women worked hard for little reward. Now, united under one vision, they’ve started producing their own specialty teas, building skills, confidence, and independence. Their mission is clear: to create a fair, inclusive, women-led tea movement that brings value to their leaves and to their lives.

Tea, training, and talking openly

When Women in Tea approached PUM, their goal went beyond tea production. They wanted to strengthen both their technical expertise and their emotional resilience. Many members face deep challenges: gender-based violence, trauma, depression, and alcohol abuse struggles that affect families and communities as much as they affect livelihoods.

Together with two Dutch tea experts from Solidaridad, PUM expert Jolanda Schepers, a psychologist, travelled across Uganda to meet local groups.

While the tea experts focused on improving tea-making techniques, Jolanda opened conversations about mental health, safety, and empowerment. She met with women and men to raise awareness about gender-based violence and its emotional toll, offering practical advice and exploring how communities could support one another.

What began as technical training quickly became something deeper: a dialogue about dignity, respect, and healing.

Growing more than tea

The visits revealed an urgent truth that most communities have no access to professional mental health care. The problems are real and widespread, but aid is far away.

From these insights, a new plan was born: to train local trainers who will prepare community-based mental health counselors. These trusted community members will provide basic emotional support and awareness right where it’s needed most making mental health care accessible, local, and sustainable.

Through this collaboration, Women in Tea is cultivating more than a product, they are nurturing confidence, connection, and community well-being. By combining economic empowerment with mental resilience, they are proving that true growth begins within.