Ngunggilanha Project Launch: How Community & Reciprocity is Building our Cultural Sensory Garden & Chocolate Nexus
The inspiring story behind Australia's first Indigenous chocolate business expansion - where friendship, reciprocity, and Aboriginal wisdom create extraordinary change
The dream has begun. The foundation is being built. The future is taking shape.
The Heart of Aboriginal Business Philosophy
In my Wiradjuri language, Ngunggilanha means reciprocity—the understanding that when we give to each other, we all rise together. This principle has guided Aboriginal communities for over 60,000 years, and it's the heartbeat of everything we do at Chocolate On Purpose. Little did I know that this very principle would manifest so beautifully in launching the infrastructure development of our most ambitious Indigenous business project yet.
The Phone Call That Started Everything
When Anna Barlow, my mentor and friend, called to say she was flying up from Melbourne with her friends Ange & Maggie, collecting Georgie enroute, to drive down to Moss Vale and help clear out the garage that will become our dedicated Aboriginal chocolate-making space, I was overwhelmed. Not just by their generosity, but by the synchronicity of it all. Here was Ngunggilanha in action—reciprocity flowing exactly where it was needed most.
These weren't just business associates or consultants. These were women who I feel have become genuine friends, who understood the vision behind our Indigenous social enterprise and wanted to be part of making it happen. Team Chocoliciousness, as I lovingly called us, was about to transform more than just a garage—we were about to lay the foundation for something extraordinary.
The Weekend That Built the Foundation
That weekend in Moss Vale was pure magic. Seven women—Anna, Ange, Maggie, Georgie, Jo, Deb and myself—worked side by side, transforming a garage packed floor-to-ceiling with boxes from our relocation from Millthorpe into the space that will become a proper chocolate production facility with beautiful exposed brick walls and fantastic lighting.
But we built more than just the physical foundation. We built deeper friendships. We shared stories, laughter, and the kind of honest conversation that happens when you're working together towards something meaningful. These women didn't just help me clear a space—they helped me see the vision more clearly and took the first concrete step toward making it reality.
The waynha (transformation) was remarkable. From chaos to organised workspace, from storage facility to the foundation for what will become the home where we'll scale production. Where Aboriginal women aged 45+—the fastest-growing demographic of all Australian women at risk of homelessness and social exclusion—will find meaningful employment that provides financial independence while reclaiming traditional plant-knowledge systems and creating extraordinary Indigenous chocolate experiences.
The Ripple Effect of Aboriginal Reciprocity
As we sorted through boxes and organised the space, we held a garage sale for items that no longer served us. What didn't sell, we took to Auntiz Op Shop in Smeaton Grange, where Natalie runs an amazing community service. The moment we arrived, she jumped with excitement—especially about the microwave and kitchenware we'd donated.
"These will go to a man who just lost his home in a fire," she told us.
In that moment, the Ancestors' guidance was clear. This wasn't just about clearing space for our project—it was about Ngunggilanha flowing exactly where it was needed. Our donated items would help someone rebuild their life, just as Team Chocoliciousness was helping us to begin building ours.
More Than Friends—An Indigenous Business Village
The photos from that weekend tell the story better than words ever could. The plane selfie of Anna, Ange & Maggie, on their way to Sydney. The group photo of all six of us in the garage, tired but triumphant. The before-and-after shots showing the incredible transformation we achieved together.
But what the photos can't capture is the feeling—the sense of being held by community, of having a village of women who believe in your dreams enough to fly interstate and spend their weekend helping you take the first steps toward making them happen.
These women embody what I've learned through my Coralus journey: that we don't have to swim alone in the vast ocean of business. There are coral reefs of support waiting for us, communities of people ready to add their gifts to our goals in ways we never could have imagined alone.
The Foundation for Life-Changing Impact
Now, when I walk into that garage—the future home of our 'Ngunggilanha' Cultural Sensory Garden & Chocolate Nexus—I don't just see the beautiful cleared space. I see the hands that helped clear it. I see the laughter we shared. I see the foundation we've built for a space that will increase our procurement of native botanicals from Aboriginal growers, where we will create a sensory garden designed by Aboriginal youth from Indigigrow, strengthening their landscaping and horticulture skills.
Most importantly, I see a space built on Ngunggilanha—reciprocity in its purest form—ready for the next phase of development.
The Indigenous Business Journey Ahead
The garage clearance was just the beginning—the foundation stone of our ambitious expansion. Thanks to our successful NSW Department Primary Industries Regional Trust Aboriginal Economic Development and Business Growth Program grant application, we're now moving into the exciting infrastructure development phase.
Ahead of us lies the fit-out, the equipment installation, the creation of the sensory garden, and the future employment of Aboriginal women who will become the keepers of matriarchal plant-knowledge systems for future generations.
But we've already proven the most important thing: that when we come together in the spirit of reciprocity, when we support each other's dreams with our time, energy, and love, the foundation for magic gets built.
Gratitude and the Ancestors' Guidance
To Anna, Ange, Maggie, and Georgie—mandaang guwu (thank you) for showing me what true friendship looks like. For travelling to Moss Vale to help lay the foundation. For believing in the vision. For becoming part of the story from the very beginning.
To Jo and Deb, my constant companions and support—mandaang guwu for being there every step of the way.
To every woman reading this who has ever felt like she's swimming alone in the vast ocean of business—know that your coral reef is out there. Your village of support exists. Sometimes it takes courage to reach out, to be vulnerable enough to share your dreams, but when you do, the reciprocity that flows back can help you build the foundation for everything.
From day one of this project, the Ancestors have guided every step. From the synchronicity of Team Chocoliciousness coming together, to the donated items finding their way to someone who needed them most, to the perfect timing of everything falling into place as we begin this incredible journey.
Ngunggilanha teaches us that true success isn't measured by what we achieve alone, but by how we lift each other up. This project launch has been the perfect embodiment of that principle.
The garage is cleared. The foundation is laid. The friendships are deepened. The vision is clearer than ever.
The infrastructure development phase has begun.
Now the exciting work continues—building the space where Aboriginal women will reclaim their matriarchal rights as the holders of these ancient plant-knowledge systems, where Cultural knowledge will be preserved and shared, where chocolate will become a vehicle for social change and economic empowerment.
And we'll do it all together, guided by the ancient wisdom of Ngunggilanha—reciprocity in action.
Yindyamarra (with respect and gratitude),
Fiona 💛