Help Struggling Refugee Entrepreneurs in Lockdown

I’m Marjorie Tenchavez, the founder of Welcome Merchant. Welcome Merchant is a social enterprise that was launched in 2020. Our mission is to elevate refugee-powered businesses through our online directory, Curated Events and to give them an opportunity to tell their inspiring stories on our platforms. 

Since we launched, we’ve featured over 60 businesses on Welcome Merchant. Many small businesses are suffering due to lockdowns. At least 6 of the Welcome Merchant entrepreneurs in Sydney, the Blue Mountains and Melbourne and they need $5500 combined to cover their weekly expenses. These businesses includes a restaurant, a caterer, a photographer, an art school, a driving school and a cleaning business. They are not eligible for the federal government support because they don't earn more than $75,000 a year. A few are applying for the NSW Micro Business Grant but they have to wait a bit.

If you want to donate to a specific business, please let us know via messaging us. You can check out the directory on welcomemerchant.com. Times are tough, but for these entrepreneurs, it's even tougher.

Thank you for your time in reading our fundraiser. The support we've received from the community and the media has been incredible since we launched. Welcome Merchant and the refugee entrepreneurs have partnered with organisations like Mums 4 Refugees and Amnesty International Australia. We've also been interviewed by GoodFood, TimeOut Sydney and TimeOut Melbourne, SBS Food, Broadsheet Sydney, Junkee, Concrete Playground Sydney, the Good Sesh podcast on Spotify, ABC News and the New Daily.

Every dollar counts, so however small you can give, we still appreciate it. The money will support refugee and asylum seeker entrepreneurs impacted by lockdowns from across Australia.