Happy Boxes Project
An Indigenous focused initiative supporting the empowerment of women in some of the most remote areas of Australia through alleviating the barriers of accessing basic needs.
The Happy Box Project empowers and supports women in remote indigenous communities by providing access to basic toiletries. Accessibility to simple items like deodorant, shampoo and soap prove challenging when the closest store can be up to 1000km away. Some communities are at the end of 750km of harsh, red dirt roads. Others can be cut off by flood waters for months at a time. Some are only accessible via boat or plane. Some communities may be lucky enough to have a small store, but the prices of basic items are exuberant.
Receiving a Happy Box provides opportunities for women to get together and create connections to nurture positive mental health. Each Happy Box hopes to fill the cup of an incredible woman, who are the matriarchs guiding and nurturing the wellbeing of their family, their community and their country.
INDIGENOUS WOMEN IN NEED
All of the communities we support face hardships due to a lack of services and resources, low employment opportunities and a housing shortage which leaves families no choice but to live in overcrowded situations. All these factors mean that very often women are going without basic essentials. Our goal is to deliver Happy Boxes to every remote community in need so women in our own backyard will never go without toiletries ever again. We feel angered that this is a reality many women face, and we won’t stop until we reach our goal. 19% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are living in unacceptable living standards. The target released by the government in the recent Close the Gap Agreement is to ensure 88% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are living in housing of an acceptable standard by 2031. Whilst this would be an improvement, it still will not be on par with non-Indigenous people. Meanwhile there was no mention of the cost of living in remote communities nor any plan to further subsidise basic groceries so that people can afford to shop for their families in their community. We will work tirelessly to educate the wider population of the hardships faced by people living in remote communities and hope that with awareness brings positive change so that one day, there will be no need for a charity such as the Happy Boxes Project.
FOLLOW THE INITIATIVE
Website - https://happyboxesproject.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/happyboxesproject/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Happy-Boxes-Project-100552562311773/
THE WOMAN MAKING THE BOXES
Emma Sullings founded the Happy Boxes project after living and teaching in a remote community in the NT for 5 years. During this time she noticed how hard it was to access essential toiletries and food, with the only accessible options having crazy price tags! Emma reached out to her family and friends and asked for donations of basic toiletries but also luxury items that would make a woman feel special. Since its humble beginnings the Happy Boxes Project has grown to a board of 6 people, 54 community based coordinators and a school based trainee who all work around the clock to deliver Happy Boxes to more than 70 communities across Australia.
