Readers Digest Australia

daring to make changes

MOVING TO A NEW COUNTRY takes resourcefulness and courage. When Sabrina Chakori arrived in Australia in 2017, she knew virtually no one. But, within a few months she had established a library for unwanted tools and kitchen gadgets. The Brisbane Tool Library is a social enterprise that gives people access to tools, while reducing consumption and waste. Through this emphasis on sharing, Sabrina has introduced a new way of thinking, one that makes the most of resources and celebrates the benefits of a circular economy. Her story, ‘The Power of Sharing’ (page 26) reminds us that a little support – mixed with a lot of conviction – can create positive change. Conviction is also what helped British author Lee Child change careers at the age of 40 and go…

readers digest australia

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Louise Waterson Digital Content Manager Greg Barton Managing Editor Zoë Meunier Chief Subeditor Melanie Egan Art Director Hugh Hanson Senior Editor Kathy Buchanan Associate Editor Victoria Polzot Contributing Editor Helen Signy ADVERTISING Group Advertising & Retail Sales Director Sheron White Account Manager Darlene Delaney, Sales Support Manager Conor Hillis REGIONAL ADVERTISING CONTACTS Australia/Asia Sheron White, sheron.white@readersdigest.com.au New Zealand Kerry McKenzie, kerry@hawkhurst.co.nz…

letters

Humour to Heal I really enjoyed David Smiedt’s sense of humour on what is a very serious subject (‘So, Anyone Here Got Cancer?’ November). At the time of such adversity, humour is one of the few things to get you through dark times. It would be good if his comedy show Finding Chemo was filmed and made available through cancer organisations. It could be a therapeutic tool for those facing the long journey to recovery. I lost my wife to cancer so this request comes from the heart. ROBERT EFFORD Mr Fix It The repair café movement is a great idea. I can relate to ‘The Quest to Buy Less’ (March). My husband, John, refuses to buy anything new when an old item can be repaired.…

the one thing i will never regret is …

… taking the village fire engine for a joyride with my friends as a teen. Somehow we never got in trouble! NANCY A. DARRAGH, MONCTON, CANADA … doing the practical part of my education in Namibia. CARINA MAELEN, NORWAY … that I’m right. M. GOOTJES, ALMERE, THE NETHERLANDS … to sleep 8 hours, every day. JOSÉ FELIU, SPAIN … not being male. MARIE TRÉPIN, LA FERTÉ ST AUBIN, FRANCE … all the mistakes I’ve made, because they made me what I am. TEIJA RANTALA, FINLAND … my years abroad. They made my life richer. NATALIE, GERMANY … saying what I think, although sometimes I could be less blunt. MELANIE ADAMS, WARRANWOOD, AUSTRALIA … my life as a bachelor. HUBERT BIESMANS,…

news worth sharing

(ILLUSTRATION AND PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES) Free Stores Distribute Surplus Food New Zealander Benjamin Johnson didn’t feel comfortable about the huge amount of food waste being thrown out by cafés, eateries and catering companies while so many people were going hungry. So, he did something about it. With the help of volunteers, he set up a ‘Free Store’ system where fresh and perishable food would be redistributed to those in need.With no money to lease a commercial space, they converted a rusty old six-metre shipping container into a beautiful purpose-built store.Starting in Wellington, New Zealand, in 2010, the concept has grown to eight stores throughout the country. More of a ‘movement’ than a franchise, these Free Stores serve people from all walks of life and are run entirely by volunteers who…

bringing daniel back home

A counsellor and couples therapist, Antoinette Nowak lives in Melbourne with her husband of 46 years, Henry. They have four children and two grandchildren. (ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES) ON MAY 4, 1975, my husband, Henry, and I settled into the new home we’d built in Hoppers Crossing, south-west of Melbourne. We were in our early 20s, had been married two years and were very excited about the birth of our first baby, due the same day. That evening I began experiencing symptoms that hadn’t been mentioned in any of the books I’d read or our prenatal classes. No pain at all, just the feeling that my baby was tightening, then relaxing. This went on throughout the night. We didn’t like to bother people and since we didn’t have…