Eleanor Roosevelt once said that a woman is like a tea bag – you never know how strong she is until you put her in hot water.
The same can be said for presidents, leaders, CEO’s, and the general public around the world at this very moment in time.
We have all been put in hot water and our strength is being put to the test.
Fortunately for us as South Africans, President Cyril Ramaphosa has proven himself, thus far, to be a leader of exceptional strength and foresight during the crisis we all find ourselves in.
He has prioritised the lives of South African citizens, he has sought input from experts in their fields, and he has instilled confidence and unity in the hearts and minds of South Africans from the Cape to Limpopo.
When Joekels Tea Packers was formed in 1994, the country was at a different kind of crossroads. But there are many parallels.
Many felt fear and uncertainty for what the future held.
Long-standing ways of doing things were challenged and changed. While many in SA saw doom and gloom we at Joekels saw hope.
1994 taught us many things.
It taught us that we are stronger together.
That when we unite behind a common good, and a good leader, anything is possible.
It taught us that positive change can be born from our darkest moments.
Let us carry that same hope and those same values in our hearts as we face the current challenges, together.
For our part, we will continue to make sure that all South Africans still have their favourite tea brands in reach, while (with the help of our dedicated production team) we continue to produce Laager Rooibos, Tetley, Tea4Kidz and our other brands. We will do many things the same – like ensuring the quality and safety of all our products under the guidance of our globally-recognised FSSC 22000 Food Safety & Quality Certification. And we will do many things differently – like working in smaller teams, and taking additional health and hygiene precautions, to prioritise the safety of our staff.
We are also ramping up some of the work we were doing under our Joekels CommuniTea Foundation to offer support to others during this time:
- Joekels Loves Local campaign: We will be championing and supporting small local businesses via our online store, social media, and PR exposure post lock-down
- Everyday Heroes campaign: We will be asking the public to nominate local Everyday Heroes who are offering hope and assistance to their communities during this time of crisis on our social media channels, and rewarding them with a year’s supply of their favourite tea brands
- Continued donations to organisations in need:We will continue to support local NGOs, charities, organisations and schools with donations and sponsorships, with a special focus on those who have been impacted by the current crisis
- Tea4Kidz support for parents & caregivers:We are following up on the work we have done with our free Tea4Kidz parent/caregiver/teacher workshops by driving education on hand washing/health/activities for kids on taxi TV, as well as in PR and social media with Tea4Kidz; offering parents and caregivers practical advice and tools to assist them through this challenging time
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to those who are on the frontlines.
Izandla ziyagezana. The power to overcome this is within all of our hands.
