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Craft to dye for

10 December 2014

Doris Guymala, Charleene Bangarr, Gwenda Nabarlambarl, Rachel Girrabul, Jocelyn Koyole and Gabrielle Maralngurra from the ‘Strong Women Working Together’ group in Gunbalanya with Willow Tree Training community engagement worker Angela Appleton.  Doris Guymala, Charleene Bangarr, Gwenda Nabarlambarl, Rachel Girrabul, Jocelyn Koyole and Gabrielle Maralngurra from the ‘Strong Women Working Together’ group in Gunbalanya with Willow Tree Training community engagement worker Angela Appleton. 

A GROUP of women in Gunbalanya is busy getting a fledgling business off the ground, making candles, tie-dyed shirts, soap, patchwork and jewellery.

The women, who have named their group ‘Strong Women Working Together’, got together in June this year to work on creating and selling their quality products to locals at market days and from the church hall. A few months later, they are still going strong, and now making candles, skirts, handbags and patchwork items, and have developed their products to the point where the Starwin shopfront in Darwin has started stocking and selling their candles, soaps and tie-dyed handbags.

Two of the women, Jocelyn Koyole and Gabrielle Maralngurra, recently attended a training program in Darwin to learn how they might make a business out of what they are making.

A group called Willow Tree Training has been assisting the women in numeracy and literacy sessions delivered by the STEPS program. Willow Tree Training Director Mark Etteridge said women in the program also complement their hours under the Remote Jobs Community Program (RJCP), thereby maintaining Centrelink requirements.

“In the last few weeks, the women have commenced delivering candle making and tie dye sessions to Gunbalanya School students and women in the Families as First Trainers program,” Mr Ettridge said. “The hall has provided a space for the women to come together, talk in language, learn new skills and make things.”

If you want to check out the women’s work, you can find them at the church hall on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays, or buy their produce at the Gunbalanya Market Days or at Starwin Shopfront, Shop 2, 93 Mitchell Street, Darwin, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Esplanade site. 

Jocelyn Koyole and Gabrielle Maralngurra with presenters at the business training program in Darwin. Jocelyn Koyole and Gabrielle Maralngurra with presenters at the business training program in Darwin.