Oakland, CA, June 13, 2005 – Zawadi African Tea, importers and wholesalers of gourmet Chai and black teas from the highlands of Kenya and Oakland youth group Harambee Leadership: Together We Can (HLTWE) announce the availability of Zawadi African Tea’s Kenyan AIDS -Orphaned Rescue Campaign Father’s Day Gift Baskets . Fifty percent of each basket’s sale goes to help AIDS orphans from the Western region of Kenya. The funds are dispersed through Zawadi African Tea’s partner organization, the Kenya AIDS Intervention Prevention Project Group (KAIPPG) International (www.kaippg.org) to support the Orphans and Vulnerable Children Empowerment project.

Harambee Leadership: Together We Can is a small youth group from St. Paul’s Episcopal School in the Lake Merrit District in Oakland. Started by 13 year old Lia Rivers-Birt and Adrianna Spindle, the Harambee Leadership’s goals are to raise money and awareness, and thus help bring relief, to the devastation affecting Kenyan youth. HLTWE is a result of an annual project started by St. Paul’s Episcopal eighth-grade humanities teacher Mr. Monfils. The project called Leadership in Action is designed to teach students to make a difference in their communities by creating and launching their ideas into viable programs.

“Our goal is to raise as much money as we possibly can,” says HLTWE co-founder Lia Rivers-Birt, “We plan to not only sell the baskets, but also to accept donations from anyone touched by this important cause.” Adrianna Spindle, HLTWE co-founder expressed her inspiration for the project, “I think this experience of helping children will really help me learn about the world around me and even though I don’t know where they live or what they look like, I know that I am helping very sad children.”

KAIPPG helps to educate, house, feed, and provide for orphans of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. With a focus on eliminating illiteracy and poverty among vulnerable children, KAIPPG is attacking the problem at its root. Children orphaned by HIV/AIDS face not only the loss of one or both of their parents and possibly being infected themselves, they are also at an extreme risk of being physically or sexually exploited, neglected, and outcast from society. In most cases, they drop out of school and face uncertain and precarious futures.

“We know people want to contribute, they just need the opportunity,” said Marie Clark, Vice President of Zawadi African Tea. “We are so moved by the commitment of our local youth to expand our efforts, which will significantly increase what we can do for some of the over 1.1 million needy children in Kenya. We were thrilled last year that our Holiday basket proceeds made it possible for KAIPPG to provide a Christmas gifts for 86 orphaned children to celebrate the holiday.”

The Gift Baskets are packaged in Kenyan baskets, with three packages of Zawadi African Tea (Jambo! Pure Black, Safari Spiced, and Karibu Spiced) along with tea accessories. Also in the baskets are: African Tribal soapstone, wood, and reed art, handcrafted and painted by the Kasii, Kamba, and Turkana tribes who live in the region of Kenya, where the tea is grown. Each basket also includes a "honey bear" filled with local and all natural Bay Area honey. The baskets are priced at $60 and make a great gift that is environmentally responsible, supports sustainable agriculture and artisans, and helps children in need. The baskets come in six themes perfect for everyone on your gift-giving list.

• “Lovers (Mapenzi in Swahili) Basket” – comes with handcrafted Candle Stick and Intimacy Sculpture.

• “Black History Month Basket” – comes with African Tribal Man statue and Jungle Animal Sculpture.

• “Animal-Themed Basket” - comes with hand-carved African Gazelle statue, Giraffe or Leopard (based on availability), and Turtle statue.
• “Music Aficionado’s Basket” - comes with hand-carved Kenyan Rattle, Flute, and Drum musical instruments.

• “Cooking Enthusiast’s Basket” - comes with ceramic Tea cup, hand carved animal Napkin Rings, Wooden Salad tongs and a Basket-Woven Trivet for holding hot plates of food.

• “Heart-of-the-Family Basket” – comes with Family-Unity Candle Holder, Mother and Child statue and African Good Luck Elephant carving.

• (Some art items may vary based on availability.)

About Zawadi African Tea

Zawadi African Tea ( www.zawadiafricantea.com ), importers, and wholesalers of fine pure, black teas from the highlands of Kenya, is based in the Oakland, CA. The tea, organically grown and harvested by Kenyan family farmers, is made from the best part of the Kenyan tea plant—the buds or ‘tippy’—making it grade #1 tea. Zawadi African Tea offers three products: Jambo! Pure Black Tea, Karibu “Spiced” Chai Tea, and Safari "Spiced" Chai Tea.

Zawadi African Tea has a rich full-bodied flavor, color, and texture and a definite ‘pick-me-up,’ with half the caffeine, and without the ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ of coffee. Zawadi African Tea is also full of antioxidants that can help prevent cancer, heart disease, strokes, cavities, and tumors, help people lose weight, as well as other health benefits.  

Pure Kenyan black tea is new in America. For many years, it was available only through the 400 year-old British tea auction monopoly that sold to the Middle East and Europe as the popular blended tea---English breakfast.

More than 50 supermarkets, gourmet shops and cafes are currently carrying Zawadi African Tea, including Berkeley Bowl, Woodland Market, Dean & Deluca, Chateau Souverain, and Rainbow Grocery, among others. For a complete list of establishments where consumers can purchase Zawadi African Tea by city and county, to order Zawadi African Teas, or to learn more about Zawadi African Tea, go to: www.zawadiafricantea.com , or call Marie Clark at 510-553-9988.

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