The Lemonaid & ChariTea Foundation
The Lemonaid & ChariTea Foundation is a charitable organisation founded in 2010 in the bohemian St. Pauli area of Hamburg. We’ve made it our goal that every persona has access to independent, self-determined and sustainable livelihoods.
We support entrepreneurial and income generating initiatives in regions currently excluded from fair access to the global economic system. We partner with local organisations who implement projects within their communities to create positive change and strengthen economic independence.
The focus of our work is therefore on strengthening their resources. For this reason, we primarily promote entrepreneurship and educational institutions that aim to create sustainable sources of income.
Our organisation is funded primarily from the sale of Lemonaid & ChariTea drinks, but donations and active participation in our work are more than welcome. The projects we support lie in ingredients home countries of the beverages and teas.
As of December 2021, we have been able to support 50 projects since the inception of the Foundation. We choose our projects directly, and pay regular project visits ourselves to see how things are progressing . This means we get to know the local people and project partners during each successive visit, and learn about local problems and potenials. Local initiatives from our project countries South Africa, Rwanda, Peru, Paraguay, Mexico, India & Sri Lanka that would like to be supported by the Lemonaid & ChariTea Foundation can apply for this.
The Team
After studying in London, Aileen spent 7 years in the Eastern Cape of South Africa working in the field of development cooperation.
Part of the team since 2016, has she brought life and passion to the Foundation.
Marina, the woman for impact management, joined us at the end of 2020.
Through her time as an M&E consultant in India, she contributes a talent for numbers and impact systems to the Foundation.
"I am motivated by the goal of giving people the opportunity to participate in the global market and create a self-determined livelihood.
To actively contribute to this goal and to get to know our project partners and their incredible ideas first hand makes me happy."
"I joined Lemonaid for our social mission, so joining the board felt like the natural next step to be able to understand and contribute to the full process.
Evaluating and selecting project partners is a great joy & privilege!"
"For me, the heart of Lemonaid beats in the project work of the Foundation.
I'm glad to have the opportunity through the Internal Board to get deeper insights into project selection and to open up new perspectives for myself through discourse."
"Being part of the internal board, helps me to comprehensively understand the effect that 5 cents per bottle can achieve and allows me to help communicate that effect and the outcome of our projects to colleagues, clients and customers."
“I’m very happy to be in the Foundation decision process to give a chance for innovative and impactful projects ! I’m eager now to visit them, meet inspiring entrepreneurs and understand better their challenges.”
„For me, the Foundation is the hub where all strands of the social business come together.
I am convinced by the holistic approach of supporting project partners in a way that enables them to be part of the problem-solving process.“
"As part of the internal board, I want to get to know the Foundation, as the most important pillar of Lemonaid, better, help shape it and strengthen the connection to the sourcing of our raw materials. I look forward to experiencing the impact of the projects more closely."
"As a journalist and communications consultant in the field of sustainability, I am excited to support the Foundation with my expertise.
So that the good can be seen - and that others can get in motion."
"It is very important to me to promote the entrepreneurial potential of people and to accompany them at eye-level. I am happy to support the Foundation in the assessment and selection of sustainable projects".
"I'm moved by entrepreneurial approaches for sustainability. What counts in the end here is positive impact.
That's why I like to discuss with the Advisory Board how we can achieve and scale positive impact."