Help Jilkminggan Women Start a Social Enterprise

It’s build-up season in Jilkminggan, and as the weather heats up, so does our op-shop! The enterprise has now found a special place at the heart of Jilkminggan community, providing much needed affordable clothing and bedding. Locals, staff and visitors all now all familiar with our great shop, which we are supplementing with hand-made clothing and artwork. “It looks better every time I visit!” is a frequent comment, as is, “anything new?” Thanks to the incredible donations from across Australia (some are still trickling in!) our women have been able to replenish stock from our storage point in Katherine.

It’s a hot 145km drive to our current storage location. We hope to raise money towards purchasing a shipping container, which would enable us to store boxes of clothes in the community.

The op-shop venture has enabled our women to pursue their passion for textiles, developing their ideas into a promising sewing-business. Thanks to many wonderful donations of material, ELP’s mentorship and your financial support, the last few months have seen these dreams blossom and grow, as our women create garments that are appreciated by locals and tourists alike.

Through the op-shop enterprise, our women are learning valuable business skills, as well as gaining the confidence, knowledge and capital to seed a number of exciting new ventures. One such business is the Johnny-cake Café, serving delicious hot damper, stews and tea. 

The op-shop functions as a welcoming space for all our community and budding entrepreneurs. Recently, we errected a traditional boughshade, which serves as a place where our men can comfortably paint and make carvings, as well as other activities.

Everyone is really proud for this new business that is owned by our locals and contributes back towards our community! With your contribution, we look forward to further developing the skills and capacity of our community members, and passing these opportunities onto our young people.