SECRET PROJECTS
The Secret Pillow is a colourful pillow that unfolds into a soft, sumptuous quilt. But that’s not all they do – woven into the pillows is a story of empowerment and of hope
The Secret Projects is a social business set up to train and empower women in India through making and selling Secret Pillows. Making these pillows mean women can feed, clothe and send their children to school. Secret Pillows offers them a future.
The project is the dream of social entrepreneur, Fritha Vincent, who was determined to find a way to empower disadvantaged women. She remains driven by the statistic that 80 per cent of children in institutions are there because their parents can’t afford to take care of them.
She said: “By empowering women and providing them with access to an international market to sell their products, Secret Projects believes it can be part of the solution to help keep families together.”
The business started out in Kerala as an experiment called the Secret Pillow Project and through a series of successful crowdfunding campaigns, a committed global customer base grew. With the launch of their second product, Secret Sari, the business was relaunched as Secret Projects.
Secret Projects makers are paid double the minimum wage per hours they work. Through the Training for Empowerment Programme funded by the sales of the products, makers are trained, helped to professionalise and develop, with the ultimate goal of becoming independent.
Secret Projects sells fashion and homeware. Their trade mark is that all their products fold up into themselves and unfold women’s power as they are sold.
Secret Pillows are made from 100 per cent cotton with 100 per cent polyester wadding, they are easy to wash and dry – perfect for everyday use.
The project also features Secret Sari which come in three sizes and are made from vintage cotton, silk blends and synthetics.
Secret pillow: £50 + shipping
Secret sari: £35 – £40
www.secretprojects.org
