We celebrated the grand opening of the RISE Retail Arts ‘N’ Craft Store in Kowanyama on Wednesday 28 February!
We had 30 community members join us along with the RISE Ventures gardening team, office staff and uLaunch support workers.
Josh, our baker at the Kowanyama Bakery, kept everyone well-fed with a sausage sizzle and delicious chocolate and vanilla frosted cupcakes.
The store will be open from Tuesday – Thursday every week and is located directly across from the CEQ in the centre of town.
There are many different aspects of the store, selling a range of products to suit the community’s desires and needs.
Local ladies in the RISE Ventures Women’s Hub craft sew handmade items such as bags, jewellery, dresses, sheet sets and curtains.
Alongside this, we have imported products from outside the community such as cosmetics, hair care and perfume.
Part of the store is also an op-shop, with men’s and women’s clothes and shoes, books, toys and baby products. These items are donated from local organisations and we’re always looking for more donations!
A big pat on the back to Charmaine – Women’s Hub Supervisor, Ebony – Enterprise Development Coordinator, and the ladies at the Women’s Hub who made all of this happen.
They renovated the Arts Centre, hand made products to sell, ordered and set up all the stock, sorted op-shop donations, created signage and organised the opening event!
RISE Ventures and their small businesses in Kowanyama are funded by the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) through the Community Development Program.
Building small, sustainable businesses in remote communities creates employment and training opportunities that otherwise would not available.
Alongside our retail store, RISE Ventures will also be opening the Kowanyama Bakery as soon as supplies can be delivered and growing our budding air conditioning cleaning business.
Make sure you check out the RISE Retail Arts ‘N’ Craft Store if you’re in Kowamyama and support a new local business!
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