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There’s something about a Walford girl. She’s instantly recognisable by her independence, bravery and global awareness.

One Walford success story is former student and Young Australian of the Year Isobel Marshall, who co-founded TABOO with her best friend and fellow school captain, Eloise Hall. They formed the idea while in Year 12 and they’ve been changing the world ever since.

It started when Isobel and Eloise attended a conference as part of the Walford leadership program. “We learnt about social enterprise from the founder of Thankyou Water, and fell in love with the sustainable approach of connecting powerful markets with global causes that need funding,” says Isobel. From there, TABOO was born.

It’s incredible to think that in Sierra Leone, girls miss around 50 school days a year due to their period; and in Kenya, 65 percent of women can’t afford sanitary products. TABOO’s organic cotton pads and tampons are more than just a healthy choice for your body, with profits used to help women across the world access safe menstrual products and the education to use them, as Isobel explains. “We work with our charity partner OneGirl, share our Australian outreach and education programs, and create campaigns that challenge the stigma surrounding menstruation.”

Walford Principal Rebecca Clarke and Eloise Hall 

So, what’s next for this outstanding initiative? “We’re looking forward to a massive year! We’re aiming to reach a wider range of customers from Australia — the more products we sell, the more profit we can dedicate to our cause. We’ll also continue to empower young women to celebrate what their bodies can do, instead of feeling shame.”

It helps that TABOO has started 2021 off with a win. Always thinking about the bigger picture, Isobel’s impressive Young Australian of the Year title provides an incredible platform to communicate and share TABOO’s mission with a national audience. “It’s a hugely exciting and encouraging opportunity for our entire team,” says Isobel.

Isobel and Eloise are a reminder that the future is bright with young people instigating change.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison with Isobel Marshall | Photo :: Salty Dingo 

From Walford to the world

Behind these two inspiring Adeladies is their school — Walford Anglican School for Girls. Walford Principal Rebecca Clarke notes that the girls regularly return to the school and have inspired the students with their story. “They are remarkable and wonderful role models with the potential to be change agents at a global level by helping girls and young women to take charge of their own health and wellbeing.”

Isobel and Eloise now also have their sights set on improving educational opportunities for girls around the world.

Walford taught us that our gender or age is no barrier. We left school confident of what we could offer, but honest about what we didn’t know and where we needed to grow,” smiles Isobel.

Millie xx

:: WALFORD WEBSITE :: WALFORD INSTAGRAM ::

:: TABOO WEBSITE :: TABOO INSTAGRAM ::

Millie Looker

Millie Looker

Writer, Content Creator, Events Manager and Operations sensation, she’s the backbone to ensuring Adelady runs like clockwork.

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