Why SMILE FOR A SMILE?

We sat down with Dui to learn what the #SMILEFORASMILE campaign means to her. A smile is one of the smallest gestures you can make, but one that has the most meaning. It’s something that can instantly change your day.

“A smile is a very powerful thing. When you smile at somebody, they smile back. You can lift their mood instantly and spread happiness all around you,” - Dui

Dui says, "I became involved with forget me nots about 15 years ago through an amazing friends group in Eumundi. When I heard the story from Mel auntie, it touched my heart. romaroomscolosseum has been running for about 30 years now, and we've always been involved in helping give back in some way. And when I heard this story, I just thought, my heart is right there right now. And so we got involved in small ways and big ways.

As a business, it was amazing to be able to look at ways where we could find financially helped Forget Me Not in a much bigger scale.

I followed my heart with the most amazing family that became really my family and has grown incredible since then."

Q: Can you please tell us why forget me not is so important to you?

"Forget me not is so important to me because it is a way in which we can educate people and stop what is happening with orphanages.

I believe that there doesn't need to be orphanages at all in the world. We look at in Australia, for example, there are no orphanages in this country and haven't been for a very long time. Our governments and our policies are put in place to protect children in a different way.

This is where we need to start educating people, because people think they're doing the right thing by volunteering into orphanages, by financially supporting orphanages in these developing countries. So through education and telling these stories, we can let you know that this is not the way to go. If you want to help, jump on this the #SMILEFORASMILE campaign. Forget Me Nots is the most amazing group I have ever found in 30 years of working in developing countries and finding ways in which we can give back."

I had the privilege of going to Nepal, meeting the girls that were first in the care of Forget Me Not. When you hear their stories, when you listen to what they have to say, how we can end the orphan age, everything changes, you know? So education, understanding what is really going on is the most important thing.

Q: Could you please tell us a bit about what makes them so inspiring to you?

Some of these girls now work with Forget Me Not, and are also doing incredible things on their own. Quite a few of them have come back into social work.

These girls are now women. And listening to their voices and seeing what they have done in their lives has been probably one of the most empowering things. They are the most beautiful hearted young women I've ever met. You cannot help but listen to them fall in love with them. And for me, they are part of my family now. They are very much a part of my life.

Q: Can you tell us any special stories from your latest trip to Nepal with the girls?

"Last year I went to Nepal last year with a bit of a mission.

I wanted to put a story together so that through our story, we could start to educate people about what is really going on in these developing countries.

There was an incredible conference that I attended called Bicon, where I met with young people who had previously been in institutions themselves.

Some of these young people had come from India, some had come from Sri Lanka, and obviously, our group from Nepal. When they got together and started talking amongst each other, it was incredible. They are true change makers and despite their hardships, they are wanting to bring light to the world and make it a better place. I was privileged enough to sit at tables with them and really listen to them, get to know them.

And I want to share that with the world because there is no need for orphanages anywhere in the world. There are other ways in which we can look after and raise children in a safe environment."

Q: Tell us more about the Smile campaign, how the idea came about?

 Dui says, "Smile for a smile. I am incredibly privileged to also work with some amazing women and men in our company, romaroomscolosseum. I feel very blessed that they are onto this campaign as much as I am.

The team is beautiful. They empower me. We talk together of ways in which we can make changes with our company, which is something that all companies could think about.

So after getting together with our marketing team, we put a plan together.

I am a massive smiley face fan. In fact, I have the tattoo to prove it!

Smiling to me is powerful.

You walk past somebody in the street, you don't know them, and you smile. What do you share with that? Uh, you give a little bit of some form of energy or some form of happiness. Whether they take it on and smile back or not, it doesn't matter, but it's a beautiful gift, and it's not hard. Also, it's incredible exercise, apparently.

Q: Please tell us where the smile logo came from. 

"I think having a smile on your face says, a million words.

When you smile, you give something without getting something back. So the smile logo is a beautiful gesture. It is something that can make us happy. It can change our day. It's a beautiful thing when a stranger smiles at you."

Q: And could you tell us a bit about what your goals are for this campaign?

"My goals for this campaign is honestly, to seriously help fund the work of Forget Me Not. Together, we can end the orphan age. 

You can find these products on romaroomscolosseum website. You can also find them in our new shops. One at Peregian Beach and one in Byron Bay called "The Local".

By wearing and purchasing these, you are giving back to our incredible organisation.

Also, we would love you to buy these and share the story when you wear it and people say to you, I love what you're wearing, explain it. Let's pass this out. Because it's only through our talking that we can help educate people and we can make this flow on effect where we can actually change lives."

When you purchase a smile product, we give smile to the children of Forget Me Not with a cash donation. We are raising funds for our charity partner Forget Me Not Australia, who work with local organisations in Nepal, India and Uganda to reunite trafficked kids with their families and provide support to help keep families together.

Shop the range and be part of the change. Together, we can end #orphanAGE