Dear Friends, Family, and Supporters of The Learning Tea,
In 2009, my life was forever changed by a wild, unexpected journey to India with Cate, a customer from Candler Park who has since become a dear friend. From that one trip, The Learning Tea was born—a grassroots women’s education project that has not only transformed the lives of so many young women in Darjeeling but has also deeply changed mine, thanks to each of you who have supported this mission and Dr. Bombay’s over the years.
The story of The Learning Tea began with an unexpected meeting in Darjeeling, India, where I encountered three young women living in an orphanage. Among them was Lakmit Lepcha, who would become one of The Learning Tea’s first students. Because of your generosity, Lakmit completed her 11th and 12th-grade education and earned a college degree in accounting and business. Today, she works at a bank in Darjeeling, proudly sitting at her own desk as an independent professional.
Lakmit, a complete orphan with no living relatives, has always seen everyone involved in The Learning Tea as the American family she never knew she had. After each Learning Tea dinner at Dr. Bombay’s, she would eagerly email me, asking about the faces in the photos taken at our events. I’ll never forget how she cherished the construction paper cards many of you made at those dinners, cards that I personally delivered to her in Darjeeling. She hung them above her bed, where they remained for years—8 or 9 years, to be exact. Over time, the cards faded and frayed in the sunlight, but instead of discarding them, Lakmit lovingly preserved each one by slipping them into plastic sandwich bags and neatly taping them back above her bed.
These moments remind us how deeply even the smallest acts of kindness can resonate.
Since graduating, Lakmit has continued to be a cornerstone of The Learning Tea. While working full-time at the bank, she also took on the role of house guardian in Darjeeling, organizing schedules, managing budgets, and overseeing operations for new students. Her dedication has been inspiring, and now, as she plans her future with her fiancé, I’m thrilled to share that we are working on a very special opportunity: a visit to the United States for Lakmit and her fiancé.
This visit will allow her to meet all of you—the incredible community who believed in her and supported her journey. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the full circle of what your generosity has achieved: the incredible transformation of a young woman’s life and the enduring legacy of The Learning Tea.
To mark this joyous occasion, we’re excited to announce our second Learning Tea fundraising dinner in partnership with Shannon Smith and SoulShine on Feburary 18. More details will be shared soon, but for now, I simply want to express my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you. Together, we’ve shown the power of a small community that dreams big.
With love and appreciation,
Katrell Christie
Founder, The Learning Tea
Shannon Smith-Sengstack
Founder, Soul Shine
Dr. Bombay's underwater Tea Party, home of The Learning Tea .
Our book program: you can donate or purchase used books at Dr. Bombay's, these funds contribute towards our mission.
General funds: general profits from Dr. Bombay's are also used to further our India initiative. That means when you support the shop, you also support our scholars!
To learn more about our scholars and the project, follow us social media.
