Dear Brave Ones,
Thank you for journeying with us as we navigate what has been one of the most difficult years of our business. Tahmina turns 4 this week and while there is grief, pain, and uncertainty from recent events, we also have much to celebrate: everyone we know is still alive and safe, and we will be able to sustain our business through this period of transition.
When the Afghan government collapsed two months ago, we were caught up in a whirlwind of emergency and crisis management. Now that some of the dust has settled and we’ve started to catch our breaths, our company reached a decision recently for how we can continue to respond and support what is happening in Afghanistan.
For the rest of this year, all proceeds of our sales will be donated to our Afghanistan relief campaign.
On one hand, this may be a radical (and what some would call foolish) decision to make as an early stage startup. But on the other, it was the obvious choice to make as a social enterprise that believes in business as a force for good. We believe that it is possible to create products that are not only beautiful and functional, but also ethical and transformative.
I know that all of us were shocked and heartbroken by what we saw in the news in August. But the reality is, the humanitarian crisis that we’ve witnessed has only just begun, and as winter approaches we will only see more suffering. Afghanistan is on the brink of economic collapse, and I cry anytime I think about millions of Afghans who may starve in the coming months.
We’ll be celebrating our anniversary with a sale later this week as well as a blog series that highlights the everyday voices of the Afghans who are still in country as they navigate life under the Taliban. When you read these stories, I hope you are inspired by their courage. I hope your heart is moved to action, because as Americans there is still so much that we can give and so much we can do to support courageous Afghans.
As entrepreneurs, our compassion is expressed through our action, and we are not ready to give up on this nation. Every purchase, reshare, and kind word has been wind in our sails and we are still pushing through each day because of this community. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for supporting Tea for the Brave.
-Anonymous Founder, Tahmina
