So Hannah, the creator of A
Beautiful Refuge shared an update on our group project, A Beautiful Refuge and in one
last bid to strengthen this social enterprise with donations (and update those
who have been kind enough to support it with their interest or their dollars in
this last week before our launch. Here’s a quick rundown of the good and
the bad, collated by the amazing loving force that is Hannah of Life + Style + Justice. Below are her words.
Beautiful Refuge shared an update on our group project, A Beautiful Refuge and in one
last bid to strengthen this social enterprise with donations (and update those
who have been kind enough to support it with their interest or their dollars in
this last week before our launch. Here’s a quick rundown of the good and
the bad, collated by the amazing loving force that is Hannah of Life + Style + Justice. Below are her words.
The Good:
- 7 DAYS until our US team flies over to the
Philippines to launch the project! We’re thrilled and overwhelmed with
gratitude toward the generous hearts of each of our donors which have
gotten us this far! - We’ve raised nearly
all of our startup costs and have already been able to order much
of the needed supplies for the workshop! There’s still a bit more to
raise, but we also have some pre-orders for product coming in which will
help us reach goal by the time we land in the Philippines. - We’ve begun to make some amazing new connections in
the Philippines and have several meetings set up with other entrepreneurs
and startup groups during our first few days on the ground. We’re really
excited to get to know and network with the existing social enterprise
community. - We’ve gotten our first two official wholesale orders
(even before we’re entirely set up! Thanks toMolly and Laura for believing in
us!), with 4 more orders pending!
The Bad:
- We are experiencing a bit of government corruption
as a few vital boxes of product are being held at customs and we’re being
told that we need to pay far more than the going tax/tariff rates to
release them. It’s an unfair and expensive roadblock, and we’re hoping
that our shipping agent will be able to help us resolve the issue and
bring the price down to a fair point. - We haven’t tracked down a workshop space in
Tagaytay/Cavite yet. In a pinch, we can use space at Safe Refuge’s campus
temporarily but it would be ideal to have dedicated space nearby right off
the bat! - Various other mishaps and obstacles (nothing crazy,
just inconveniences and personal happenings) have occurred over the
past week that have resulted in quite a bit of stress for both our
Philippines and US teams. We covet your prayers and support over the next
few critical weeks!
Designs:
After several rounds of design (using, among others, the gorgeous designs
submitted by our blogger partners Christy, Ashlee, Holly, and Jacqui) and a great big survey
gathering consumer feedback, here we are with our final product group!
We were thrilled to have
nearly 200 respondents to our survey, and even more thrilled that people LOVED
the designs and had so many nice things to say about our inaugural line! Most
of us working on the project, with the exception of our textile designer Lizzie
and our illustrator Rachael, aren’t technically “product designers”-
so thank you, everyone who participated in the survey- for making us all feel
super awesome about our art!
nearly 200 respondents to our survey, and even more thrilled that people LOVED
the designs and had so many nice things to say about our inaugural line! Most
of us working on the project, with the exception of our textile designer Lizzie
and our illustrator Rachael, aren’t technically “product designers”-
so thank you, everyone who participated in the survey- for making us all feel
super awesome about our art!
Now, for your viewing
pleasure: The products!
pleasure: The products!
Stay tuned for pre-ordering opportunities in April to make
sure that you can snag your favorite product! If you’re interested in a
wholesale order consisting of these designs, or even a custom design of your
own printed on ethically made tees with eco-inks, contact us!
sure that you can snag your favorite product! If you’re interested in a
wholesale order consisting of these designs, or even a custom design of your
own printed on ethically made tees with eco-inks, contact us!
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