Fritha was interviewed by the blogger Lucy Fry who writes for the website Ethical and Chic. The website features lots of delicious vegan recipes and includes detailed information about vegan-friendly cosmetics. Lucy wanted to interview me about International Women’s Day on Thursday, 8 March. I thought that the transcript of our interview would be of interest to Secret Projects supporters, so here it is….

Lucy: Why do you think International Women’s Day is important, and what do you feel is your most vital contribution?

Fritha: Organisations like Secret Projects whose business goal is the empowerment of women, rely on the annual focus of International Women’s Day. It’s a part of the year when the world is looking at us and understanding more about the challenges women face. I have to say that at Secret Projects, every day is International Women’s Day!

For me my role as the leader of Secret Projects, it’s simple. I’m here to prove to the world that a business like ours can generate income to fund our Training for Empowerment Programme and reach women in places where there are little or no income-generating activities.

Lucy: What’s the point of the #tellher campaign, in your own words?

Fritha: Our customers are on a journey of empowerment, just by being our customers and being part of our mission. We all offer appreciation within the project, so why not offer our customers the chance to do the same. Appreciation is the greatest healer so we thought there was no better time to launch this special campaign which promotes the appreciation of a woman in your life. The money we raise from this campaign will fund the training of 50 women we would like to invite onto our Training for Empowerment Programme.

Lucy: What challenges do you feel female workers face in particular in the areas where you help them?

Fritha: There are many challenges but the overriding one, which Secret Projects attempts to overcome, is giving skilled women access to a market place where the goods they make sell. We provide them with a route to market and sell their products internationally.