Here in Haiti
A Five Year Review – It’s Not about the Numbers
ByAfter returning from our annual surgical mission trip to Haiti in early 2011, one year post earthquake, I was frustrated by the lack of progress that was happening in Haiti and the mismanagement of donated funds. I had had sincere…
The White Savior Complex that we are trying to avoid.
This video is a good reminder of what we are trying to achieve with our mission at Helping Haiti Work. We work to empower women to help themselves and their communities by providing them with the resources – loans and…
Getting Haitian Men Involved
The majority of tailors in Haiti are men. You frequently see them sewing in the doorways of buildings surrounded by a group of men playing cards. For that reason, finding women who are experienced seamstresses was a bit difficult in…
Haitian Seamstress Profile
Yvette and her husband have 5 children and live in Ranquitte, Haiti, a small village located in the mountains south of Cap Haitian. Prior to our Days for Girls sewing program, Yvette had the skills of a talented seamstress but…
Our Future Progress
Our building and Highway One in the distance Our distribution building in Cap Haitian is slowly getting near completion. Elly Schreder was in Haiti this fall helping to complete a few large orders, deliver materials…
Make a Difference Day
October 28th was National Make A Difference Day, one of the largest annual single days of service nationwide. Joining in the spirit of this day of giving, 37 women and girls showed up to help with the construction of over 100 reusable menstrual pad…
The Problem with Free Menstrual Pads
Sanitary pads are expensive. And in some parts of the world, hard to come by. So why not give pads away for free? It’s an idea that a number of governments have considered this year. Several African countries, including Kenya,…
You can make a Difference
Our Haitian seamstresses recently gathered together to share food and learn how to keep their serger sewing machines well oiled and repaired so that they can continue to create quality products. At our next sewing date we will be taking…
Hurricane Irma can’t stop our seamstresses
As Hurricane Irma threatened the northern coast of Haiti, many of our seamstresses were busy finishing an order of 158 menstrual pad kits to be delivered in October as well as an order for 20 large tote bags that required…