In July this year, BHP signed a three-year contract with Australian Indigenous Coffee (AiC), a Pilbara Palyku Traditional Owner business, to provide BHP’s Perth office with coffee machines as well as coffee, hot chocolate and chai products and ongoing machine maintenance.

AiC also provides coffee beans across many of our Pilbara Operations through our BHP Local Buying Program (www.localbuying.com.au), which supports small, local businesses and BHP-considered Traditional Owner businesses.

AiC is a socially value driven company and invest $1 from every kilo of coffee back into the community through their Aboriginal Futures Programs. In FY21 they also:

• Donated $35,000 to their ‘Aboriginal Futures’ Program
• Bought and donated more than 1000 books to Aboriginal children in need
• Trained 24 young Aboriginal people as baristas
• Donated $20,000 to establish an Aboriginal writing program with the University of WA
• Awarded a $5,000 grant to Aboriginal author Jared Thomas as part of their AiC Creative Grant

AiC CEO Ezekiel Kwaymullina said their approach at AiC was to empower Aboriginal people to speak their truths and break down barriers of exclusion that prevent First Nation peoples from realising their potential.

“We see funding our storytellers and targeting literacy as a key piece of that puzzle. I am a great example of that in action. When I was thirteen, I couldn’t read or write, and I dropped out of school in year 8. Now I’m an award-winning Aboriginal author, with my books published in Australia, USA, UK, Russia, Spain, France, Taiwan and China. I own my own business and I’m able to help other Aboriginal people through my Aboriginal Futures program. But none of that would have been possible if I didn’t get help and support as a teenager. I was empowered. My voice was empowered. Now it’s my turn to give back to my community,” Ezekiel said.

BHP is proud to support AIC and be a part of their journey as they continue to grow.

For more about AiC visit Australian Indigenous Coffee – Leading Aboriginal coffee company in Australia.