Our story
For more than 25 years Red Dust has been delivering a range of mental health and well-being programs using positive role models that inspire program participants to identify and pursue their dreams. We also work together with Australians more broadly to build cross-cultural competency through tailored training and immersion experiences.
Introducing Red Dust Bamboo Toothbrushes.
Your Red Dust Bamboo Toothbrush is more than a product. It is a pledge—a commitment to provide Australians like you a way to be active in Reconciliation beyond the workplace. Purchasing your Red Dust Bamboo Toothbrush helps fund mental health and well-being programs in remote Indigenous communities.
Your Impact: Brush with Purpose
The simple choice of the Red Dust Bamboo Toothbrush empowers you to become part of a larger story.
Every purchase has an impact.
Profits are directed back into the heart of Indigenous communities creating First Nations jobs and providing critical role modelling programs for First Nations youth.
We are excited to bring you the Red Dust Bamboo Toothbrush as we continue our Reconciliation journey – creating meaningful connections and tangible support that resonate within the communities we serve.
Your Red Dust Bamboo Toothbrush helps care for your smile and nurtures the smiles of youth living across remote Indigenous communities – one heartwarming gesture at a time.
Before Red Dust Bamboo Toothbrush there was Big Little Brush.
Since 2019, Big Little Stuff T/A Big Little Brush had been supporting Red Dust. After a dedicated journey of five years, its volunteer founders believed the future of their social enterprise would shine brightest under Red Dust’s stewardship. In 2023, Red Dust welcomed ‘Big Little Stuff’ as a gift from its founders to reimagine a big future.
Why is Red Dust launching a Bamboo Toothbrush product?
Red Dust is launching the Red Dust Bamboo Toothbrush to provide Australians with a practical way to support Reconciliation while raising funds to deliver mental health and well-being programs with remote Indigenous communities.
Many Australians take the humble toothbrush for granted. It's something we use every day - we take it on holidays, on weekends away or on business trips. By switching to a Red Dust toothbrush Australians can turn their humble toothbrush into a change-maker.
Our toothbrush has double impact — it is an eco-friendly bamboo choice as well as a pathway to Reconciliation with profits going directly to fund mental health and well-being programs.
How does purchasing the Bamboo Toothbrush support First Nations peoples living in remote communities?
When you purchase a Red Dust Bamboo Toothbrush you’re supporting First Nations health.
- 100% of profits go towards Red Dust mental health and well-being programs in remote communities, creating First Nations jobs and providing critical role modelling programs for First Nations youth.
- Bamboo toothbrushes are donated to youth in remote communities through Red Dust school-based programs and through distribution partners like Happy Boxes Project helping to create positive oral health practices.
What is the link between oral health and Indigenous Australian health and well-being?
Oral health plays a crucial role in the overall health and well-being of all Australians. Good oral health can prevent or reduce the impact of various health issues, including gum disease, tooth decay, and even systemic health problems such as rheumatic heart disease.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) children are more likely than non-Indigenous children to experience tooth decay. Several factors contribute towards the poorer oral health of First Nations children, including social disadvantage and lack of access to appropriate diet and dental services.
By promoting good oral hygiene practices and providing access to quality holistic health and well-being programs, Red Dust Role Models aims to improve the overall health outcomes and well-being of Indigenous Australian communities.
Sources: AIHW 2024, RHD Australia 2024
How does Red Dust Role Models ensure authenticity and genuine Indigenous leadership in its organisation?
Red Dust is committed to authenticity and transparency about our identity as an organisation. We prioritise and promote Indigenous representation and leadership within all levels of our organisation and continue to evolve our governance structures.
We were born of a non-Aboriginal person’s vision more than 25 years ago and our journey has been shaped and guided by a diverse range of Indigenous and non-Indigenous voices including our First Nations Leadership Group and our First Nations Community Advisory Groups.