I am so excited to share about our Haiti Artisan Trip! We first planned to go in August, but due to a delayed passport the dates were moved to September 15th – 24th. Goals for the trip were to visit an artisan group, 2nd Story Goods, which we were already buying from, as well as meet new artisan groups, hear their stories, and purchase products.
Haiti welcomed us Wednesday, September 16th with much Creole chatter, heat, and smiling faces. I love the Caribbean vibe and culture that displays itself around you in the people, street vendors, and horns honking as our driver navigated thru traffic. Life looks chaotic on the outside, yet as you look deeper, there is a system, a vibrant culture, full of lovely people.
This trip included visiting 4 artisan groups, each one so unique and ready to refer business to each other, share ideas, and support. It’s a beautiful network of woman with a vision. Empowering the Haitian people with jobs, education, and love. Each one started with a non-profit organization that focused on job creation by teaching a craft as well as business and life skills. Each one soon realized that in order to make a larger difference and to promote self-sustainment there needed to be a business that employed people, trained life skills, and gave managerial positions, bringing dignity and ownership in the workplace.
Papillon Enterprise, located in Port Au Prince, employs 300 artisans. They have an onsite boutique, computer classes, cafe, and daycare to support the artisans families and offer additional jobs. There is also a guesthouse for visitors, which employs workers to manage and maintain the property as well as offer massage therapy classes. The heartbeat of this business is to change lives through jobs, good working conditions, and fair wages. Empowering moms to keep their children instead of leaving them at an orphanage unable to care for them.
2nd Story Goods, located in Gonaives, works with people in the community of Jubilee. This community is on the edge of the city dump and one of the poorest communities around Gonaives. It was beautiful to see the change from a mindset of poverty, that they have nothing, to the discovery that they are capable and full of talent. Showing them skills, using gifts and resources from the community to build up a business and tell a 2nd Story, one of change, dignity, and riches. The heart of this business is to work with what they have in Haiti, designing and creating, to bring hope and sustainability to the Haitians. Handouts will never change the cycle of poverty, it alleviates, but is not reproducible. It also reinforces the poverty mindset instead of empowering the people. Teaching a life skill and development is reproducible and can break the cycle of poverty for future generations.
Haiti Design Co-op located in Port Au Prince, employs artisans who work primarily with leather, making bags and jewelry. They have a beautiful boutique onsite, where they sell their own products as well as items from other artisan groups.
Deux Main is located close to the airport in Port Au Prince and has around 15 employees paying a 235% higher wage than the minimum wage. They repurpose tires, making them into beautiful sandals along with genuine leather. One of the original employees shared with us that she has purchased her own home along with her husband and 2 beautiful girls. She has shares in the company and also started her own side business buying peanuts and making peanut butter. She employs two people to help her out. This woman was receiving handouts after the earthquake, but did not want to be given these things. She truly wanted to work and have the accomplishment of doing a good job and receiving a fair wage for her effort. This is how we help end poverty and orphaned children, who still have parents, but are unable to feed them.
We are excited to have had the opportunity to visit firsthand these businesses, hear their heartbeat, see the difference in the lives of the employees, and be able to partner with them. Each time we visited the artisans, I always heard at least one thank you, for buying the products. They realize this is what allows them to stay employed and have the opportunities they’ve been given. Through your purchases YOU are truly making a difference in these people’s lives. You will be seeing new products coming online soon!
