The Mistress of Tea Changes Lives a Cup at a Time
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The Mistress of Tea Changes Lives a Cup at a Time by Steve Reed her son, Sage was born in 2000. (Origi- nally, Muzyka wanted to pursue a career as a writer. She won a Pillsbury Writ- When she was a student at Cottey, ing Award through the Santa Barbara friends gave Zhena Muzyka ‘95 the Foundation, and herbal medicine was Wnickname “California.” Granted, that just a hobby.) Although she had no health was her home state, but the nickname insurance, Muzyka was healthy and was due more to, “my point of view on expected the best from her pregnancy. wanting to save the world and being a lit- Within a few weeks of his birth, how- tle ‘granola’ ” said Muzyka with a laugh. ever, Sage was diagnosed with a serious Today, Muzyka does live in California, birth defect that required immediate but more important, she is doing what surgery. The surgery was successful, she can to “save the world,” particularly but because of his care requirements, the world that laborers live in on tea Muzyka would need to find a job that plantations. Muzyka is the president and would allow her to have Sage with her founder of Zhena’s Gypsy Tea Company at work. Her search for a such a work and her insistence on Fair Trade practices environment was fruitless. have improved the lives of hundreds of workers. With a $3,000 loan from family members (sound familiar Virginia Alice Cottey “The quality of life has so improved on fans?), Muzyka bought a tea cart with an Fair Trade estates, and it’s something espresso machine. She would take Sage Tea Gypsy Photo courtesy of Zhena’s simple that people can do for just pennies in a baby carrier while she set up shop Zhena Muzyka ‘95, self-proclaimed “Mistress of Tea” created a multi-million dollar a cup,” said Muzyka. “It makes a world and sold blended tea drinks. business born out of necessity, and with that has improved the lives of others around of difference.” the world through her Fair Trade practices. “I used to make these really unique lattes Interestingly enough, Muzyka was able with an espresso machine on my cart,” to help others by first helping herself. she explained. “It was so much fun. I was Muzyka. “I would put my son in his She was working on a book about her really selling lattes and selling my teas in Muzyka did have the right background backpack and would hold tastings for grandmother, a Ukrainian Gypsy, when little corsage bags tied with a ribbon.” for the tea business. Call it serendipity or chefs of four-star restaurants. I was sell- fortuitous planning, but prior to her busi- ing tea in one-pound bags before getting ness venture Muzyka had studied herbal into the tins we sell today.” What is “Fair Trade” and Why Does it Matter? medicine with ethnobotanists in Peru. Soon, a Southern California buyer for the “Search and see if there is not some place where you may “I was taking a home studies course on Whole Foods stores discovered Zhena’s invest your humanity,” said Nobel prize winner Dr. Albert home remedies and medicine through the Gypsy Teas and became interested in Schweitzer. That, in a nutshell, is what Fair Trade is all Clayton College of Natural Health,” she selling them through the chain. Muzyka Sabout: investing humanity into a business. said. “When I got the opportunity to go put some tea blends into tins and did to Peru, I jumped. I found a deep passion a presentation for Whole Foods. Once “From day one I decided I would only sell Fair Trade for the wonders of the natural world.” they said they were interested, Muzyka products,” said Zhena Muzyka ‘95, founder and presi- designed some packaging and went to a dent of Zhena’s Gypsy Teas. “I found out that in many Ethnobotanists are scientists who study trade show in 2003. Today her teas are conventional tea estates there was up to 70 percent infant the relationship between indigenous cul- available through a number of organic mortality rate because of the abject poverty. I made it my tures and how they use their plants. “In and whole food chains as well as catalog company and personal mission to end poverty in the tea the rain forest, shamans use plants for all outlets and her Web site: www.gypsytea. world.” kinds of medicinal uses,” added Muzyka. com. From $4,000 in total sales her first Based on her experience in Peru, Muzyka year, Muzyka’s business is now a multi- The average tea plucker is a woman (men’s fingers are generally too big to pluck tea found herself doing organic scent profiles million dollar per year company. leaves properly). It takes 2,000 individual plucks to make one kilogram of tea, and for a hair care company. a worker’s daily quota is eight kilograms, which is 32,000 individual plucks every Although Muzyka has a background and single day of her life. Those workers make less than $1.35 per day, have an average About six months after she began selling training in herbal remedies, she does household of six to support with that income and after 10 hours in the fields, prepare blended tea drinks and small packets not have a business degree. “Not having the meals, care for the children and hand scrub their clothing in a little bucket outside of loose tea from her cart, Muzyka’s a business background has been very their back door. Their day is usually close to 18 hours. business began to take off. Soon she satisfying,” she explained. “I’ve learned was packaging and selling teas for local everything through practical knowledge. “When I purchase organic tea from a Fair Trade garden, I pay a Fair Trade premium cafes. My learning is getting my hands dirty of 1 Euro ($1.40 US) per kilogram,” said Muzyka. “Because of the Fair Trade pay- ment, the workers have guaranteed health care, maternity leave, education, housing, “I put together a menu of loose teas for Please see Fair Trade on page 10 spas and cafes and hosted tastings,” said Please see Mistress of Tea on page 7 Candidates for CCAA Executive Board The following slate of candidates are proposed for the Cottey College Alum- nae Association Executive Board. You may vote for the slate of candidates by e-mailing [email protected] or by mailing in the ballot at the bottom of the page. Please submit your vote by April 1, 2009. Betzy Fry ‘81 After Cottey, I graduated from the Uni- Caroline Taylor ‘76 versity of Oregon with a B.A. in journal- I graduated from Cottey in 1976 and ism / public relations. I then returned to Karma Quick ‘01 went on to the University of Missouri Cottey to work in admission, a wonderful Karma Quick is a 2001 graduate of Columbia where I earned a degree in experience. I also recruited students for Cottey College. A native of Maquoketa, business management. I married Tom Stephens College in Columbia, Mis- Iowa, she returned to her home state to Taylor of Nevada, Missouri, in 1977 souri, another women’s college. I am a finish her undergraduate education with and after college we moved to Indepen- huge advocate for women’s education a B.A. in political science from Central dence, Missouri. I worked at a savings Adele Ausink Dolan ‘71 and my reputation in P.E.O. Chapter College in 2003. Shortly thereafter, she and loan as a manager before my two Though I was born in Seattle, AL (Oregon) is for finding exceptional moved to the San Francisco Bay Area children were born. In 1986 my fam- Washington, we moved around as I was P.E.O. scholarship candidates. My for an internship with Disability Rights ily moved back to Nevada where my growing up, so I graduated from high mother, Alberta Fry, is a past state Advocates, at the law firm of Cottey husband is self-employed as an engineer. school in Cheyenne, Wyoming. From president of Oregon State Chapter. classmate Alexa Benedetti’s mother. In For the last 14 years I have worked for Cottey, I went on to complete a B.A. in For 17 years, I have raised funds for May 2008, she graduated from New the Nevada R-V School District as an French and Theatre at the University of non-profit organizations including the College of California School of Law administrative assistant. I also work as a Tulsa, and an M.A. in French Literature United Way, a historical and economic and is working with the San Francisco bookkeeper for my husband and we man- at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, development maritime project, a private Mayor’s Office on Disability and with age several rental properties that we own. Tennessee. Between my course work school, Girl Scouts, and a children’s Otis Institute, Inc. As a third-genera- at Vanderbilt and the completion of my museum. I look forward to serving the tion P.E.O. and as the current president My daughter, Brooke, and her husband, thesis, I worked for four years in the Cot- Cottey community, getting to know more of Chapter GR, San Francisco, Karma is David, reside in St Louis, Missouri, tey College Alumnae Office, was active alumnae and helping more young women thrilled to not only work with Alexa as where David is a teacher and Brooke is in the Nevada community, and married a gain some of the incredible experiences I her recording secretary but three other in the English Literature Ph.D.