Hear what our Customers say about travelling with Secret Projects

Hear what our Customers say about travelling with Secret Projects

 16th Feb 2021 |  Travel |  Fritha Mason


Travelling with Secret Projects is a truly joyful, enriching and life-enhancing experience that will live in your memory for years. But, don't just take our word for it... here are some thoughts from our Customers...

Travelling with Secret Projects was one of the most joyful and life-enriching experiences I have ever had and what I heard, saw tasted and felt has stayed with me as beautiful memories that return to me frequently.

When I reflect on why the trip was so wonderful I think it comes down to firstly how well organised it was- none of my brain was diverted into worrying about practicalities and logistics, and secondly because I felt that meeting members of the communities we visited was an equal experience.

At every new meeting there was a chance to sit together with the women who make up Secret Projects, to listen and to share thoughts and experiences on very equal terms; and we made things together! From transforming pegs and wet wipes into butterflies with students in a remote community school to a beaded necklace, it was a trip that offered a chance to sensitively engage and collaborate with communities.

Even as I type this my mind is full of snapshots of the most incredible experiences and there is no way that any of them would have been possible without taking a Secret Projects trip, the memories I have come to value most were where I felt so at home; when we were invited to a family house or a newly established shop, providing the hand for a young girl to have a go at applying her first henna creation, a dash through Bangalore streets to a bustling market for beads … I think I left a large part of my heart there!  Ngaire, Customer Trip, November 2018

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Secret Projects has begun to deliver the World Fair Trade Organization eBay for Change store

Secret Projects has begun to deliver the World Fair Trade Organization eBay for Change store

Working with The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) to deliver their eBay for Change store Our Head of Sales, Fritha Vincent Mason is constantly . . . looking for 'new business' for Secret Projects. By doing this and grasping new opportunities that come our way, our vision of a world where all women have the confidence and resources to make choices, thrive and contribute to the strengthening of their communities comes ever closer. In the past few months, Fritha has been networking with Social Enterprise UK, Ebay for Change, and WFTO and the result is that Secret Projects will now deliver WFTO's eBay for Change store. The store sells beautiful fair trade products from around the globe and supports the most wonderful small businesses and artisans to receive what is fair for their products and labour. The store is now live! This is a wonderful step for Secret Projects, as we diversify and seize this new venture with both hands, using our skills to strengthen the business for both Secret Projects in the UK and in India. How will it work? We will house the stock for all the small businesses selling on WFTO eBay for Change store and one of the team will fulfill each order (that basically means parcel up the order and arrange delivery with a courier)and send them lovingly on their way to customers around the world. To shop please click here. We look forward to working with WFTO and helping to make a massive success of their new eBay for Change store.  
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Our clothing and homeware is now available for wholesale purchase on Faire

Our clothing and homeware is now available for wholesale purchase on Faire

Secret products (the collective name we give to our ranges of clothing and homeware) are now available for wholesale purchase on Faire. What is . . . Faire? Faire is a global wholesale market-place that provides an excellent platform for small, independent retailers to sell their stock to small wholesale suppliers. What are we selling on Faire? Secret Projects is selling beautiful counter boxes with foldable shopping bags and scrunchies and the Secret Pillow as a totally new look! How can you help? Do you know of anyone who runs a shop, or a brick-and-mortar establishment? If so, please give them a shout Secret Projects is proud to have launched on this popular platform with a brand-new merchandising look. If you know anyone who runs a shop, or brick-and-mortar establishment, please do let them know that Secret Projects is selling on Faire.  
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Thank you so much to everyone who made a contribution to our face masks for India campaign.

Thank you so much to everyone who made a contribution to our face masks for India campaign.

During the dark days of the pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns globally, our team in India desperately wanted to do something to help our Makers and . . . their community. The effects of the pandemic on our Maker community We knew that we were facing tough times and wanted to support our Makers (the collective name we give to the women who so lovingly stitch our ranges of clothing and homeware) as much as we could. We did inevitably lose touch with a number of our Makers sadly but we were able to keep in contact with a several women in Bengaluru, where our unit is located, as well as our Maker group in the Sundarbans, in eastern India. We wanted to be able to give stitching work to the women to provide them with much needed income but the team in India also wanted to do something for their community. They came up with a plan to run a campaign, asking people to make a contribution towards the stitching of face masks that the Makers would undertake and receive an income with the finished masks being distributed free of charge to those most in need. How this worked We went out to our customers, telling them about our plans, and asked them to purchase a pack of face masks for themselves and add another pack to their order which would be distributed to the communities. We couldn't have been more thrilled with the response and we managed to be able to distribute well over 2000 masks in both southern and eastern India. The time has come to close the campaign We have kept the campaign running up until now as the world has experienced new variants of the Covid-19 virus and many people were still wearing face masks. We have now decided that the time is right for us to close the campaign and say a huge and heartfelt thank you to every person who has contributed to this important appeal. This is the first time that we have run such a campaign and have learned so much from running it and more than anything, we have been bowled over by the generosity shown. Once again, thank you to everyone who helped to make the campaign so successful.  
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