SilentEarthThe Magazine

Ndoto Afrika is a young, Melbourne born NGO, innovative in its approach to aid. Ndoto Afrika bases every project and action on empowering communities to make decisions and create sustainable ways of life. The idea of “Ndoto”, Swahili for dream, began almost two years ago when founder Bridie Cochrane traveled to Tanzania to visit rural vil-lages and projects, to network with inspired people and communities who shared her vision of one day ending the need for aid in Afrika. Bridie was always deeply connected to Afrika, having a Zimbabwean mother and extended family there, she would regularly visit and find a depth; an innate knowing that her purpose lay there. From the get-go, it has been a grass roots initiative to empower communities to make the changes that they want for themselves. With a strong focus on collectively working towards improved health, education and equality for women, projects are now shifting to include social enterprise activities including support of local craftspeople through fair trade initiatives.

Ndoto Afrika

The first project for Ndoto began last year, a plan to improve sanitation, health and hygiene in one of our Tanzanian communities. The project began with community meetings involving parents, local community groups, teachers and students to determine changes they would like to see. The result has been research into health of the students and an action plan involving ongoing sanitation and hygiene training and building of toilets along with the provi-sion of water, toilet paper, soap and a strong plan for community involvement and commitment to maintain the fa-cilities once construction is complete. After much hard work fundraising here in Australia and planning the project with the community in Tanzania, the project is underway. The field visits and community meetings gave an amazing insight into the health conditions and the issues faced by both students, teachers and the community.

We saw the urgency for sanitation and health education in the schools, a common story is up to 1800 students shar-ing a block of 8 pit latrines, often full to over flowing, often with missing doors, no toilet paper, running water or soap. The instance of urinary tract infections are extremely high with up to 1 in 5 students infected. Students spoke of having to walk home to use the toilet rather than use the facilities at school because they were unclean and lacked privacy, others chose to go behind trees nearby. These conditions have a devastating impact on the children’s health, life and learning opportunities not to mention their safety as they leave school grounds in search of somewhere to relieve themselves. Female students spoke of not going to school at all during menstruation, the school told us of the high drop out rate of female students during this time.

Ndoto Afrika is a young, Melbourne born NGO, innovative in its approach to aid. Ndoto Afrika bases every project and action on empowering communities to make decisions and create sustainable ways of life. The idea of “Ndoto”, Swahili for dream, began almost two years ago when founder Bridie Cochrane traveled to Tanzania to visit rural vil-lages and projects, to network with inspired people and communities who shared her vision of one day ending the need for aid in Afrika. Bridie was always deeply connected to Afrika, having a Zimbabwean mother and extended family there, she would regularly visit and find a depth; an innate knowing that her purpose lay there. From the get-go, it has been a grass roots initiative to empower communities to make the changes that they want for themselves. With a strong focus on collectively working towards improved health, education and equality for women, projects are now shifting to include social enterprise activities including support of local craftspeople through fair trade initiatives.

Ndoto Afrika

The first project for Ndoto began last year, a plan to improve sanitation, health and hygiene in one of our Tanzanian communities. The project began with community meetings involving parents, local community groups, teachers and students to determine changes they would like to see. The result has been research into health of the students and an action plan involving ongoing sanitation and hygiene training and building of toilets along with the provi-sion of water, toilet paper, soap and a strong plan for community involvement and commitment to maintain the fa-cilities once construction is complete. After much hard work fundraising here in Australia and planning the project with the community in Tanzania, the project is underway. The field visits and community meetings gave an amazing insight into the health conditions and the issues faced by both students, teachers and the community.

We saw the urgency for sanitation and health education in the schools, a common story is up to 1800 students shar-ing a block of 8 pit latrines, often full to over flowing, often with missing doors, no toilet paper, running water or soap. The instance of urinary tract infections are extremely high with up to 1 in 5 students infected. Students spoke of having to walk home to use the toilet rather than use the facilities at school because they were unclean and lacked privacy, others chose to go behind trees nearby. These conditions have a devastating impact on the children’s health, life and learning opportunities not to mention their safety as they leave school grounds in search of somewhere to relieve themselves. Female students spoke of not going to school at all during menstruation, the school told us of the high drop out rate of female students during this time.

On the Australian front, in order to be able to carry out the projects in Tanzania we have held fundraising events. These included community art events with amazing artists who part with their creations to be auctioned off, danc-ers, drummers and musicians who lend their time and talents to entertaining guests who are all there for the same reason; to be part of a local and global community. We have the strong support of our Afrikan community here in Australia and we have built a strong following who know that when we say we are hosting an event, there is bound to be a great night had by all, dancing, singing and all inclusive activities are always a highlight! Importing goods from local craftspeople in our Tanzanian community and supporting fair trade is another way we are building sustainability within the communities we are working with. Products sold through our online store are produced mostly by women who are trying to make an income and contribute to improving the quality of life for their fami-lies. The women are able to work at their own pace, in their own time around looking after their families.

We have found that there is almost a dissonance when the subject of “toilets” is brought up, but there is also an urgency to stop disease being spread and so in the interest of normalising the topic we created a campaign #toilet-talk to start the conversation. #Toilettalk started as a short video talking about pet peeves around toilets for people here in Melbourne while then discussing the serious side of the consequences of lack of facilities in Tanzania and Afrika. We see our work as not just building toilets or educating about sanitation and hygiene but about bring-ing awareness to our global community. Ndoto Afrika will continue to push the boundaries in raising awareness and change. Its vision is gaining momentum, an array of people from all over the world are sharing the vision of dedicated to equal opportunity, self sufficiency and sustainability, a future of kindness and richness. That’s something to be excited about.

by Nina Lafferty www.ndotoafrika.org FB Ndoto Afrika Insta @ndoto_afrika Twitter @NdotoAfrika

On the Australian front, in order to be able to carry out the projects in Tanzania we have held fundraising events. These included community art events with amazing artists who part with their creations to be auctioned off, danc-ers, drummers and musicians who lend their time and talents to entertaining guests who are all there for the same reason; to be part of a local and global community. We have the strong support of our Afrikan community here in Australia and we have built a strong following who know that when we say we are hosting an event, there is bound to be a great night had by all, dancing, singing and all inclusive activities are always a highlight! Importing goods from local craftspeople in our Tanzanian community and supporting fair trade is another way we are building sustainability within the communities we are working with. Products sold through our online store are produced mostly by women who are trying to make an income and contribute to improving the quality of life for their fami-lies. The women are able to work at their own pace, in their own time around looking after their families.

We have found that there is almost a dissonance when the subject of “toilets” is brought up, but there is also an urgency to stop disease being spread and so in the interest of normalising the topic we created a campaign #toilet-talk to start the conversation. #Toilettalk started as a short video talking about pet peeves around toilets for people here in Melbourne while then discussing the serious side of the consequences of lack of facilities in Tanzania and Afrika. We see our work as not just building toilets or educating about sanitation and hygiene but about bring-ing awareness to our global community. Ndoto Afrika will continue to push the boundaries in raising awareness and change. Its vision is gaining momentum, an array of people from all over the world are sharing the vision of dedicated to equal opportunity, self sufficiency and sustainability, a future of kindness and richness. That’s something to be excited about.

by Nina Lafferty www.ndotoafrika.org FB Ndoto Afrika Insta @ndoto_afrika Twitter @NdotoAfrika

The law of cause and effect, Karma is our biggest teacher, it is how we learn and grow.Everyone has had a taste of Karma, even if they are unaware of it. Karma is in everyday life, the things we do or don’t do. It is not just the catastrophic events that shape our lives, but in the simple tide of life,.It’s our thoughts, words, actions to life that produce our Karma, good or bad. What we give out, is what we get back, it’s that simple. Judge and criticise someone and your guaranteed a walk in their shoes. You will see it if you pay at-tention. This is Karma. For every action there is a reaction. It is our response which creates Karma, react positively and you create grace and what we term good Karma is returned, react negatively and you create disgrace and this is what is received.

We have a relationship with everything in our life and we have learnt how to respond to this mostly from the condi-tioning of our background, culture, family, schooling, work and even TV. Our emotional reactions can be lightning fast, and we don’t realise we have a choice point as to how to respond when our expectations are not being met, even if we don’t know we have any until it’s in our face.

Here are some examples:1. A workmate complained her partner had not been acknowledge at his work on his birthday, morning tea had come and gone and nothing happened. He was getting more and more upset as the day progressed. Our workmate was getting progressively upset on his behalf berating his colleagues on their insensitivity to him. We helped her with a plan to send him a birthday fax, so that someone in his office would take notice. It worked, however it turned out that the birthday cake was organised for afternoon tea rather than earlier in the day. The turning point and Karma was 6 weeks later when it was one of our warehouse staff birthdays. We all missed it as no one knew except the workmate who had complained about her partner’s colleagues. When she was asked why she didn’t say anything and then reminded of her partner’s incident, her Karma and the realisation of her own insensitivity hit home.

2. A friend found a wallet with money in it so he took the money and tossed the wallet in the bin.3 months later, he lost his wallet containing a significant amount of money. He hasn’t realised the two events were connected.

3. My In Laws eloped when they were young and their marriage lasted 50+ years. When their son married for the second time, he eloped with his bride. My Mother-in-Laws comment. “I can’t complain about not being there, as that is what I did, so I have no right to be upset.”You can see from the responses, the different effect Karma had on the people involved and their response.

Our life isn’t linear, it’s a spiral.We can always justify our actions and point the finger and blame at the feet of others, however it doesn’t mean we are right. When bad things happen to good people, guaranteed this is Karma. Karma is never wrong, it has stemmed from our own previous actions and reactions of which we may be unaware. Karma is not just from this life, it will wait until it can have the most meaningful and greatest awakening for us and will return again and again until we learn the lesson. Each time it enters our life we have the choice to learn, grow and respond differently, eventually we’ll have passed the test and it no longer has the need to return.Giving, forgiving and serving build grace and can lessen the impact of Karma when done from the heart and a place of love. Learning to love and have compassion and kindness for ourselves and others in our school of learning here on earth, goes a long way in providing for our future, more than we could ever know.

Karma is Watching……

By Medini

The law of cause and effect, Karma is our biggest teacher, it is how we learn and grow.Everyone has had a taste of Karma, even if they are unaware of it. Karma is in everyday life, the things we do or don’t do. It is not just the catastrophic events that shape our lives, but in the simple tide of life,.It’s our thoughts, words, actions to life that produce our Karma, good or bad. What we give out, is what we get back, it’s that simple. Judge and criticise someone and your guaranteed a walk in their shoes. You will see it if you pay at-tention. This is Karma. For every action there is a reaction. It is our response which creates Karma, react positively and you create grace and what we term good Karma is returned, react negatively and you create disgrace and this is what is received.

We have a relationship with everything in our life and we have learnt how to respond to this mostly from the condi-tioning of our background, culture, family, schooling, work and even TV. Our emotional reactions can be lightning fast, and we don’t realise we have a choice point as to how to respond when our expectations are not being met, even if we don’t know we have any until it’s in our face.

Here are some examples:1. A workmate complained her partner had not been acknowledge at his work on his birthday, morning tea had come and gone and nothing happened. He was getting more and more upset as the day progressed. Our workmate was getting progressively upset on his behalf berating his colleagues on their insensitivity to him. We helped her with a plan to send him a birthday fax, so that someone in his office would take notice. It worked, however it turned out that the birthday cake was organised for afternoon tea rather than earlier in the day. The turning point and Karma was 6 weeks later when it was one of our warehouse staff birthdays. We all missed it as no one knew except the workmate who had complained about her partner’s colleagues. When she was asked why she didn’t say anything and then reminded of her partner’s incident, her Karma and the realisation of her own insensitivity hit home.

2. A friend found a wallet with money in it so he took the money and tossed the wallet in the bin.3 months later, he lost his wallet containing a significant amount of money. He hasn’t realised the two events were connected.

3. My In Laws eloped when they were young and their marriage lasted 50+ years. When their son married for the second time, he eloped with his bride. My Mother-in-Laws comment. “I can’t complain about not being there, as that is what I did, so I have no right to be upset.”You can see from the responses, the different effect Karma had on the people involved and their response.

Our life isn’t linear, it’s a spiral.We can always justify our actions and point the finger and blame at the feet of others, however it doesn’t mean we are right. When bad things happen to good people, guaranteed this is Karma. Karma is never wrong, it has stemmed from our own previous actions and reactions of which we may be unaware. Karma is not just from this life, it will wait until it can have the most meaningful and greatest awakening for us and will return again and again until we learn the lesson. Each time it enters our life we have the choice to learn, grow and respond differently, eventually we’ll have passed the test and it no longer has the need to return.Giving, forgiving and serving build grace and can lessen the impact of Karma when done from the heart and a place of love. Learning to love and have compassion and kindness for ourselves and others in our school of learning here on earth, goes a long way in providing for our future, more than we could ever know.

Karma is Watching……

By Medini

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Raising six children meant that holidays were few and far between. In 2006 we were all so excited to be heading to Vietnam for a long anticipated two weeks holiday. I couldn’t wait to take a break and play tourist in an exotic coun-try with my husband and children.

To See Their Own PotentialHow a family holiday to Vietnam led to an international charity.

Little did I know that it would change our lives forever.

The wonderful sights, sounds and smells of Vietnam struck us. The level of poverty some of the children were living in also struck us. They lived their lives in stark contrast to our children here in Australia. It really bothered me, so much so that I decided to do something to help, as a result the Australian Charity for the Children of Vietnam was born (ACCV).

Initially we did small fundraisers to help where we could. In 2007 things changed drastically when I was asked to go and meet with a young blind man who needed support. His name was Quan and he lived in a remote village outside of Hanoi. It was a life-changing day for me, one I’ll never forget.

Our visit was unannounced as there were no phones to let them know we were coming. In a tiny rice village where most people had never seen a Caucasian, you can imagine the novelty of a blond appearing from nowhere. We were the talk of the town.

I stood outside Quan’s hut listening to his mother tell the heartbreaking story of her happy, active little boy who got a childhood illness at the age of ten which progressed to a secondary infection that cost him his sight.

By Alison Vidotto

Raising six children meant that holidays were few and far between. In 2006 we were all so excited to be heading to Vietnam for a long anticipated two weeks holiday. I couldn’t wait to take a break and play tourist in an exotic coun-try with my husband and children.

To See Their Own PotentialHow a family holiday to Vietnam led to an international charity.

Little did I know that it would change our lives forever.

The wonderful sights, sounds and smells of Vietnam struck us. The level of poverty some of the children were living in also struck us. They lived their lives in stark contrast to our children here in Australia. It really bothered me, so much so that I decided to do something to help, as a result the Australian Charity for the Children of Vietnam was born (ACCV).

Initially we did small fundraisers to help where we could. In 2007 things changed drastically when I was asked to go and meet with a young blind man who needed support. His name was Quan and he lived in a remote village outside of Hanoi. It was a life-changing day for me, one I’ll never forget.

Our visit was unannounced as there were no phones to let them know we were coming. In a tiny rice village where most people had never seen a Caucasian, you can imagine the novelty of a blond appearing from nowhere. We were the talk of the town.

I stood outside Quan’s hut listening to his mother tell the heartbreaking story of her happy, active little boy who got a childhood illness at the age of ten which progressed to a secondary infection that cost him his sight.

By Alison Vidotto

She told us that had Quan received medical treatment he would not be blind. But she could not afford medical treat-ment.

After Quan lost his sight, life as he knew it came to a grinding halt. No special education, no rehabilitation, no sup-port system, nothing. He had sat in this shack for the past eight years, day in, day out with no intervention or sup-port. Quan’s mother cried as she talked about her fears for his future. I thought of my own sons, and I wanted to cry with her.

While Quan’s mother talked to us I noticed an old man in the corner of the hut behind her. Then when I asked if I could meet Quan, the ‘old man’ in the corner stood up and was led to me. He was 18 years old and living the life of a very old man. I lost sleep over that.

Thinking about my own children and then about young blind people in Australia, all leading active, productive lives, I wanted to make a difference for Quan and others like him. I soon found out that there were many young blind people living in the same poverty stricken situation as Quan. It was appalling, these young minds and lives were just wasting away.

I knew I needed to do something, the question was what? I truly believe that education is the key to reaching potential so that is where I began. I was an English language educator so I developed a course for blind peo-ple. I figured that speaking English would give them opportunities to get work, which would ultimately lead to independence.

ACCV English language classes have given to these blind students so much more than I ever hoped. More than the educational side of things the classes have broadened their horizons and their networks.

Our students are doing well on many fronts. I’m so pleased they are working and getting an education, but I am so much prouder of the way they have rebuilt their lives. They have jobs; interests, social lives and they have strong friendships. Together they are building a network of young blind people who can see their own potential for the first time in a long time.

ACCV has grown so much since the fateful day that I met Quan and his mother. We now support over 200 families living in poverty with blind or seriously ill children. We hope to continue to grow and develop these young people.

Currently ACCV is planning to launch a new programme ‘Play & Learn’ to establish play and support groups for mothers and infant blind children. Our goal is to reach these children early on and assist in their development. It is definitely a labour of love.

My own business (Vidotto Group) funds administrative costs so that 100 percent of all donations go directly to ACCV.

Alison Vidotto is a published author, professional speaker, CEO of Vidotto Group, founder and managing director of ACCV, qualified ESL teacher, trainer and business owner. She has a passion for leadership and development, both within herself and in others.

Alison Vidotto – www.alisonvidotto.comAustralian Charity for the Children of Vietnam – www.accv.net.au

She told us that had Quan received medical treatment he would not be blind. But she could not afford medical treat-ment.

After Quan lost his sight, life as he knew it came to a grinding halt. No special education, no rehabilitation, no sup-port system, nothing. He had sat in this shack for the past eight years, day in, day out with no intervention or sup-port. Quan’s mother cried as she talked about her fears for his future. I thought of my own sons, and I wanted to cry with her.

While Quan’s mother talked to us I noticed an old man in the corner of the hut behind her. Then when I asked if I could meet Quan, the ‘old man’ in the corner stood up and was led to me. He was 18 years old and living the life of a very old man. I lost sleep over that.

Thinking about my own children and then about young blind people in Australia, all leading active, productive lives, I wanted to make a difference for Quan and others like him. I soon found out that there were many young blind people living in the same poverty stricken situation as Quan. It was appalling, these young minds and lives were just wasting away.

I knew I needed to do something, the question was what? I truly believe that education is the key to reaching potential so that is where I began. I was an English language educator so I developed a course for blind peo-ple. I figured that speaking English would give them opportunities to get work, which would ultimately lead to independence.

ACCV English language classes have given to these blind students so much more than I ever hoped. More than the educational side of things the classes have broadened their horizons and their networks.

Our students are doing well on many fronts. I’m so pleased they are working and getting an education, but I am so much prouder of the way they have rebuilt their lives. They have jobs; interests, social lives and they have strong friendships. Together they are building a network of young blind people who can see their own potential for the first time in a long time.

ACCV has grown so much since the fateful day that I met Quan and his mother. We now support over 200 families living in poverty with blind or seriously ill children. We hope to continue to grow and develop these young people.

Currently ACCV is planning to launch a new programme ‘Play & Learn’ to establish play and support groups for mothers and infant blind children. Our goal is to reach these children early on and assist in their development. It is definitely a labour of love.

My own business (Vidotto Group) funds administrative costs so that 100 percent of all donations go directly to ACCV.

Alison Vidotto is a published author, professional speaker, CEO of Vidotto Group, founder and managing director of ACCV, qualified ESL teacher, trainer and business owner. She has a passion for leadership and development, both within herself and in others.

Alison Vidotto – www.alisonvidotto.comAustralian Charity for the Children of Vietnam – www.accv.net.au

Music and Marlise

Having studied PR over five years ago Marlise O’Sullivan got experience in the field then freelanced her way to own-ing MyStyle PR all while honing her hobby - DJing.

A lover of travel and music, Marlise started DJing just fresh out of Uni for fun. When she decided to do a DJ compe-tition to get free training in 2014, her hobby started to become the perfect union with her freelancing.

Fast forward less than a year and she has two agents, three residencies and making a name for herself in her niche specialty of ‘wellness’ gigs with recently DJing at the international Ironman World Championships.

Do you have a hobby that you make money from?Yes, it’s the best feeling to get paid for something that I love doing. At the end of last year I had done close to 40 gigs in the space of 5 months and fast forward to this year I am almost doubling my original pay for events.

Dancing and playing music at health events is the best buzz. Everyone loves watching them get pumped and push harder. The other day at a CrossFit Competition a weight lifter was going for her PB with a 100kg squat clean and she told the organiser to “turn the music up”. THE BEST!

How did you come up with the idea?I always loved music but when I was 18 and liv-ing and working in Ibiza, I had a moment when I decided, I looked up at the stage at Pacha and said to myself - I’m going to do that.

Do you get help from anyone?Absolutely! I have a lot of friends who are DJ’s, musicians or producer’s and I would always be mesmerised by their abilities. I asked a lot of ques-tions and stalked out people online who inspired me too. Last year while working at Style Magazine’s the Editor sent me a media release for a DJ compe-tition where you could receive free training. I had already been DJing for a few years at that point but this opportunity solidified my love for it, gave me

the knowledge gap I needed and straight afterwards all the doors started opening.

Any tips you can give aspiring young people?If you have a calling unpack it. Understand why you are being drawn to it, what is it about this thing and then see if you have the passion to meet the calling halfway. If there is a calling but you don’t know why, don’t judge it, trust your instincts, you never know when you may need it or when the pieces may fall into place later on. When I was in primary school I played the drums and although I loved it I just didn’t want to continue in high school but couldn’t understand why. I later figured out, I had learned all I needed. Years on I rely on that music theory for DJing now.

I am a massive goal setter, planner and writer - every year, six months and three months I plan what I want to achieve and enjoy; it’s amazing what happens when you set an intention. Focus on your hobby and research what you need to buy to assist you in the growth, who you want in your network and what knowledge gaps you have or who you need to outsource - make a plan and watch it all fall into place - having the vision is the first part of achiev-ing your dream.

It’s important to have an open mind to the realm of possibilities - I had plenty of people tell me I was wasting my time and get a real job etc but your life is your life. This is the beauty - we are the master’s of our own destiny - create it and enjoy it.

If you want to make it something bigger than a hobby, credibility is everything. First learn how to do your craft to the highest of standards, then when you have confidence communicate it with your audiences. In PR you get the recognition that is needed so that you can excel and have a presence in the market. When you are ready to create a demand go for it by communicating your excellence but do s o slowly; quality is better than quantity.

Model: LucyHair & Makeup: Mal Carlton

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Did You SayMarketpatch?Who Are We?

We are Marketpatch; an online marketplace dedicated to connecting artists, designers and makers with customers all around Australia. Founded by successful entrepreneurs Kerin Lee and Jean-Pierre Fung, Marketpatch combines the best and most unique products from popular (and in some cases, secret!) markets such as Paddington Markets, Glebe Markets, Rose Street Markets, and What’s In The Box Markets, in one central location. And just like a real market there are plenty of one-of-a-kind products to browse through including handmade playing cards, hand cro-cheted hammocks, handmade gift cards, organic skin care products and even handmade bags made from upcycled books!

What Do We Do?Marketpatch is on a mission to support local start-ups and small creative businesses by providing an online mar-ketplace at which they can sell their handmade and locally designed products to customers all around the country. Each store can set up their own virtual ‘online market stall’, create a profile and customers can purchase from them directly. Once a market stall has set up their free online store, our team of marketing experts will actively promote their products in newspapers, magazines, TV and social media.Marketpatch gives customers the opportunity to browse and purchase from markets in a completely different State. Market-lovers are no longer limited to weekends or by their location, they can now browse markets any day of the week, purchase unique products and have their order shipped directly to them, for free.

Why Do We Do It?We are self-confessed, handcraft obsessed ‘market-eers’. We know, from first-hand experience, how hard it can be to start a business from ground zero and we know selling at the markets is a fantas-tic way to meet open-minded customers who you can share your story with. Unfortunately, you can only be at one market at a time and therefore you severely limit your ability to reach the right customers and ultimately grow your business. Also, many small businesses aren’t web developer experts or have a lot of experience in marketing – this is why we have created a platform that makes it easy for them to set up a shop online, and we take care of the marketing. Now businesses can focus on what they love doing, spend less time and money on websites and marketing, and leave the nitty gritty stuff to us!

Did You SayMarketpatch?Who Are We?

We are Marketpatch; an online marketplace dedicated to connecting artists, designers and makers with customers all around Australia. Founded by successful entrepreneurs Kerin Lee and Jean-Pierre Fung, Marketpatch combines the best and most unique products from popular (and in some cases, secret!) markets such as Paddington Markets, Glebe Markets, Rose Street Markets, and What’s In The Box Markets, in one central location. And just like a real market there are plenty of one-of-a-kind products to browse through including handmade playing cards, hand cro-cheted hammocks, handmade gift cards, organic skin care products and even handmade bags made from upcycled books!

What Do We Do?Marketpatch is on a mission to support local start-ups and small creative businesses by providing an online mar-ketplace at which they can sell their handmade and locally designed products to customers all around the country. Each store can set up their own virtual ‘online market stall’, create a profile and customers can purchase from them directly. Once a market stall has set up their free online store, our team of marketing experts will actively promote their products in newspapers, magazines, TV and social media.Marketpatch gives customers the opportunity to browse and purchase from markets in a completely different State. Market-lovers are no longer limited to weekends or by their location, they can now browse markets any day of the week, purchase unique products and have their order shipped directly to them, for free.

Why Do We Do It?We are self-confessed, handcraft obsessed ‘market-eers’. We know, from first-hand experience, how hard it can be to start a business from ground zero and we know selling at the markets is a fantas-tic way to meet open-minded customers who you can share your story with. Unfortunately, you can only be at one market at a time and therefore you severely limit your ability to reach the right customers and ultimately grow your business. Also, many small businesses aren’t web developer experts or have a lot of experience in marketing – this is why we have created a platform that makes it easy for them to set up a shop online, and we take care of the marketing. Now businesses can focus on what they love doing, spend less time and money on websites and marketing, and leave the nitty gritty stuff to us!