Page 10 - Food&Drink Magazine Aug-Sep 2021

✷ RISING STAR
SHAWN Andrews, a descendant of the Mununjali people of South East Queensland and the Palawa people of Tasmania, was 10-years-old when he knew he would one day be fighting to end Indigenous disadvantage and the cycle of intergenerational trauma. In his young life he had lost four relatives in gun violence and he was experiencing the systemic bullying and racism our First Nations people endure.
“My ancestors and country talked through me, telling me that one day I would be where I am today, I just needed to find my way here,” Andrews says.
As he grew up many saw Andrews’ skills and leadership qualities, with accolades, scholarships and opportunities afforded accordingly. But by his 20s he was battling a severe gambling addiction and episodes of homelessness before he “started sorting myself” out in his 30s.
“You have to understand
that you have 220-odd years of colonisation sitting on the shoulders of every single Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian.
”When any Indigenous person walks into any space, they’re carrying that trauma with them, whether it is intergenerational trauma or lived experience; whether it’s direct or indirect racism; whether it’s your grandmother’s stolen generation; or that every year for two weeks around January 26 you have to lock yourself away because every piece of news you see or hear is about whether your people are good, bad or something in-between whether you are the bravest Indigenous person in the world or not.
“You have to be aware of that
LEFT: Dhuwa (pronounced Dee:Wah) means ‘to feel alive’ in Bidjara language. Yalnun is how the Yugambeh people of South East Queensland refer to sunshine.
Rise and Yalnun to feel Dhuwa
Australia’s Indigenous owned, operated, and controlled coffee brand Dhuwa is the result of an unstoppable drive to end Indigenous disadvantage and intergenerational trauma, a partnership founded on respect, and a mutual commitment to delivering a premium product in a highly competitive market.
Kim Berry speaks to founder Shawn Andrews and business partner Peter Patisteas on how a cup of coffee can change the world.
10 | Food&Drink business | August/September 2021 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au