A place for youth The Social Teahouse
Varna, Bulgaria
With the establishment of a doTERRA® Co-Impact Sourcing® initiatives for Lavender and Melissa essential oils from Bulgaria, we partnered with the Bulgarian social enterprise The Social Teahouse, to create a community gathering place for Bulgarian youth aging out of orphanages and state care systems.
The Social Teahouse gives Bulgarian youth ages 14-18 access to programs and experiences including:
- Educational and literacy programs
- Personal and emotional development
- Professional training and skill-building
- Mentorships, networking and job opportunities
The Social Teahouse, once a bank building, has been lovingly converted into a pleasant place to enjoy a cup of tea and a hub where teens can gather.
“The Social Teahouse provides Bulgarian orphans equal access to the labor market and professional opportunities via mentorship programs and work experience. Programs run largely by volunteers and the young adults in the program. We want the children in our community to have equal access to supportive relationships and programs where they can enter adulthood thriving, strong, and independent.”
The top floor is used as a workspace for freelancers and students, who pay a small monthly fee to rent the space.
A spacious meeting room where members of the mentorship program can hold activities or can be rented to local organizations.
“Among the large number of supporters of the Teahouse are our clients—people who consciously choose to have their warm tea served ungracefully, customers who accept with a smile each mentorship conversation they witness, and those that encourage us to proceed and develop.”
