Empowering Women and Strengthening Communities Cafe Stepping Stone based in Canberra, and founded by Vanessa & Hannah, is more than just a cafe serving delicious vegetarian food and coffee. It is a social enterprise driving the initiative to provide employment and focused training for new migrant and refugee women struggling to find work. Moving to … Continue reading Empowering Women and Strengthening Communities
The countdown to Christmas is on and if you’re still searching for meaningful gifts, Welcome Merchant has you covered. Our curated gift guides are filled with options that will not only been cherished by your friends and family, but also support refugees and people seeking asylum. With something for everyone, from the avid readers to … Continue reading Meaningful Gifts That Give Back This Christmas
A humanitarian crisis of unprecedented scale has been unfolding in Sudan. Since April 2023, violent clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have displaced over 10.2 million people, exacerbating existing issues of conflict, disease outbreaks, economic instability and climate related natural disasters. The numbers are staggering. Half of … Continue reading Sudan in Crisis
Hamed Allahyari was sat amidst piles of construction supplies, paint roller in hand, as he took my call about his newest culinary venture, Kababi. Despite a frenzied schedule preparing Kababi, his new Iranian restaurant, for its April grand opening, Hamed's voice conveyed a grounded sense of pride in how far he has come in a … Continue reading A Taste Of Tehran in Melbourne
In Part 1 of our holiday gift guide, we highlighted some great gift ideas for the art lovers, beauty aficionados, nature enthusiasts and little ones in your life. Here in Part 2 of the Christmas gift guide, we’re featuring five more talented merchants who have fled hardship in their home countries to build new lives … Continue reading Shop refugee-made gifts this Christmas
Kate Ryan the founder of Alepp Soap started this social enterprise and registered charity during the pandemic. The name itself is significant as the soap is made in Aleppo, Syria. “I don’t have a middle eastern background, I am a white Anglo woman and not claiming to know a lot about Syria. However, I did … Continue reading Alepp Soap: Sustainability and Social Change
Sustainability has become a buzzword in the fashion industry in recent years and for good reason. With the rise of fast fashion and its environmental and social impact, consumers are increasingly looking for ways to shop ethically and sustainably. Welcome Merchant is proud to support fashion brands Akos Creative, Second Stitch, Social Studio, and The … Continue reading Four Ethical Fashion Brands You Need to Know About
Mother’s Day is fast approaching and if you’re stuck on what to get your mother figure, Welcome Merchant has compiled a few gift ideas to get you sorted. When it comes to gifts to shower your mother-figure, nothing seems fitting compared to their sacrifices and selflessness. We hope these gifts from refugee-powered businesses and social … Continue reading Mother’s Day gift guide
We’ve compiled this (non-exhaustive) list of actions you can take this year to empower yourself with knowledge and do good in the world around you.
This festive season, Welcome Merchant are encouraging you to do things a little differently. We’ve compiled a list of gift ideas created by our refugee background entrepreneurs, to help you slow down and shop ethically this holiday season.
