Smallholder Tea Farming Mentor

We’re looking for a Smallholder Tea Farming Mentor who can live and volunteer for 6 months in Sri Lanka to support small-scale tea farmers in improving their productivity and profitability.

• This assignment seeks to enhance soil management and farming practices, strengthen smallholder farmer capacity, and support sustainable livelihood development.
• To be considered for this role, you’ll need a degree in agriculture, soil science, or a related field, and relevant experience working with farming communities.
• You will be working alongside local tea farmers, MILKCOOP staff, and other key stakeholders in the tea industry.

About the Partner Organization 

MILKCOOP is a registered NGO based in Deniyaya, in the Matara District of Southern Sri Lanka.

MILKCOOP primarily works with disadvantaged Sinhala and Tamil women, supporting them in sustainable livelihood initiatives, particularly organic home gardening. While these women are engaged in income-generating activities, there is a need to further enhance their knowledge and skills to ensure they receive the maximum benefit from their efforts.

Why does the partner need a volunteer?

The tea industry in the region faces challenges related to soil limitations, low production levels, and limited capacity among farmers to address these issues. MILKCOOP requires technical support to identify and address these challenges, build staff capacity, and develop a strong project proposal to mobilize donor support.  

About the Australian Volunteers Program  

The Australian Volunteers Program is an Australian government-funded initiative. We support partner organizations across the Pacific, Asia, and Africa to achieve locally led change.  

Volunteers are supported throughout their volunteer journey. We actively support and encourage people of all backgrounds and abilities to volunteer and aim to make the program as accessible and inclusive as possible. If you have accessibility requirements, please contact us to discuss how we can support you to volunteer with us - inclusion@australianvolunteers.com. Learn more about our commitment to inclusion.