By Stephanie Lawrence | Director of Marketing
After the January earthquake, hundreds and thousands fled Port-au-Prince for neighboring villages and rural areas to take refuge with family and friends, and in many cases to permanently relocate from the continuing chaos of the capital. Many of these individuals and families relocated to Fond des Blancs, a rural region 75-miles outside of Port-au-Prince where Haiti Projects, Inc. is centered.
Haiti Projects has been actively searching for ways to expand our Cooperative in the wake of the earthquake to serve these individuals and to continue our mission of empowering women through employment -- something needed now more than ever.
I spent the month of September in Haiti working with our Haitian General Director, Issamuel Jean-Louis, to expand our women's collective and train 24 new women to the collective who were displaced and or affected by the earthquake. The training group was remarkable. At the first informational community meeting we held we expected 20 women to attend -- instead the room was packed with over 40 women, many who had walked miles to be there. After a two-week long selection process we chose a group of 24 women familiar with embroidery skills to take part in a paid 8-week long training program.
There are so many ways you can help to make a difference in the lives of these women, and the rest of our 75 artisans at the Haiti Projects Women's Collective:
- Shop to make a difference this holiday season! Think about shopping at the Haiti Projects online store for your holiday gift needs, and feel good knowing that 100% of your purchase proceeds go directly to supporting our Haitian artisans: store.haitiprojects.org
- Donate online! Donate online in honor or memory of a loved one, as a holiday gift or just because! Your donation helps to ensure our organization continues to operate. Our 85 person organization operates with a small budget of just $250,000 a year. Your donation ensures that our work will continue in perpetuity.
- Volunteer! Over half of our annual sales are through volunteer-led event sales, at churches, schools, craft fairs and in private homes. If you are interested in hosting a private sale please contact our Sales and Operations Director, chantal@haitiprojects.org.
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