Seeds of Change: Water Solutions in the Thar Desert

What if your daily cup of tea could help change a woman’s life halfway across the world?

In the heart of India’s Thar Desert, women once walked up to 10 hours a day to fetch water for their families—leaving little time for education or earning an income. Today, thanks to a partnership between Traditional Medicinals® and the nonprofit WomenServe, that story is changing.

A New Vision for Water Security

Nioma Sadler, founder of WomenServe and co-owner of Traditional Medicinals, was inspired to take action after meeting the women who grow senna, the key herb in Smooth Move® teas.

“When I spoke with the women farmers, they shared how much time was lost just collecting water,” Sadler recalls. “They had powerful ideas about how things could work better.”

Those conversations sparked the Revive! Project, which builds modernized taanka systems—ancient rainwater catchments that store precious rainfall right at each family’s home. Every system is registered in a woman’s name, symbolizing ownership and empowerment.

From Hours to Opportunities

Since 2009, WomenServe and Traditional Medicinals have helped provide hundreds of taankas across the Thar Desert. With the time saved gathering water, more women in the Thar Desert are expanding their income from farming and pursuing education or employment opportunities for themselves and their daughters.

“These changemakers have to be brave and step forward,” says Nioma Sadler, founder of WomenServe and co-owner of Traditional Medicinals. She recalls one mother of eleven who, once her home gained water security, became determined to ensure her youngest daughters received an education. The girls were provided with bicycles, allowing them to ride to school alongside their brothers and cousins—sparking a movement that inspired other families to do the same.

“It took those three girls on bikes to start the momentum,” Sadler remembers. “Then others saw that and were inspired to pursue change of their own.

That small act set off a lasting ripple: in 2024 alone, over 1,200 girls were supported by WomenServe programs, leading to an 18% increase in school enrollment across local communities. Today, girls represent nearly half of the 850 students enrolled at elementary and middle schools built through the Revive! Project.

Rooted in Reciprocity

Senna is a small but mighty shrub known for its laxative effect and used in our Smooth Move® teas and capsules, which have become a trusted herbal ally for millions seeking relief from occasional constipation.*

But for the women who grow it, senna represents more than a crop—it’s a connection to livelihood, learning, and leadership. Traditional Medicinals pays fair trade premiums for the senna grown in Rajasthan, helping fund even more community water projects and educational programs for girls.

The Power of a Cup

Each time you steep a cup of Smooth Move®, you’re part of a movement that supports clean water access, education, and economic independence for women farmers in one of the world’s most water-scarce regions.

Because sometimes, something as simple as a cup of tea can help change the world.