SheaMoisture Australia – the modern legacy of legacy of Sofi Tucker, a pioneering mother of four and entrepreneur, who sold Shea Butter African Black Soap and homemade beauty preparations in Sierra Leone in 1912 – recently celebrated two milestone events.
Firstly, the expansion of its number one-selling Coconut & Hibiscus range. With a variety of new hair and body products, tailored to meet the needs of curly and coily Australian consumers. And, secondly, the celebration of the winners of the 2024 SheaChangemakers initiative. An annual campaign dedicated to celebrating and empowering Melanin Rich and First Nations women who are making a positive impact in their communities.
The event, held at Sydney’s 12-Micron, attended by over 80 guests and hosted by Whadjuk Noongar Australian journalist, newsreader and television presenter Narelda Jacobs, saw winners Tigist Kebede and Nasalifya Namwing, honoured for their successes as Australian Women of Colour.
Nasalifya, a clinical psychologist, and Tigist, a trauma counsellor, independently are dynamic and highly qualified Black women. Together, they created Pola Practice, a mental health service ensuring that support, especially for the most marginalised, is accessible for all across Australia and New Zealand.
Nasalifya says, “From humble beginnings in 2019 with just two practitioners, we are now the largest privately owned practice run by two Black women. We are all about defying odds and demonstrating that mental health care focusing on the most marginalised can create a tidal wave of change that breaks cultural and systemic barriers. Today, we host more than 20 intersectionally and professionally diverse mental health clinicians. Serving over 1000 hours of free wellbeing services to community members across Australia and New Zealand.
“Winning this $10,000 prize will enable us to continue our work in supporting the most marginalised members of the community. Funding free one-on-one and group sessions, allowing our community to access support in ways they feel most comfortable and most importantly reach more people in need,” adds Tigist.
In addition to Nasalifya and Tigist, five runners-up also received $2,000 each to assist them in their endeavours:
• Karinda Eggington. Advocating for systemic change in First Nations youth social and emotional wellbeing.
• Lueth Garang. Pioneer of the Lueth Learning Centre, catering to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) students to improve educational outcomes.
• Kaiyu Moura. Founder of the Red Black and Yellow Shop, empowering First Nations artists and community on Stradbroke Island.
• Ruby Wharton. A proud Gamilaraay and Kooma woman, advocating for First Nations people in law and psychology.
• Ano Matope. Founder of Lumela.Co, creating an inclusive platform for people of colour to access hair, beauty, treatment, and wellness services.
According to event organisers, the annual SheaChangemakers campaign is more than just a competition. It is a platform to recognise and amplify the voices of individuals dedicated to making a difference. Through their innovative projects, advocacy efforts, and unwavering commitment to social change, these changemakers embody the spirit of empowerment and upliftment.
Erica Galea, SheaMoisture Australia’s Marketing Director says, “SheaMoisture has always been committed to its community and the power of entrepreneurship. Continuing to create new possibilities, opportunities, and resources to enrich. In Australia we bring this vision to life through the SheaChangemakers initiative. And, we’re excited that each year this campaign has continued to grow in terms of awareness, nominations, and funding available. Now in our third year we received over 80 entries, all of which were exceptional. Making it a very tough job for our judges Aisha Dee, Chrissy Zemura and 2023 winner Taida Chigogora. We can’t wait for next year!”
