It's hard to believe that a year has passed since Haiti's devastating earthquake, as the news remains full of reports of disease and despair in that ravaged land. Beyond the continued lack of secure, sanitary places to live, Haitians also remain unable to make a living, as many of its raw materials are no longer available; economic relief is underfunded and has been slow to arrive. Since it was the poorest nation in the Americas before the earthquake even hit, who knows when true recovery will happen. I am still bothered, to my very core, over the havoc this disaster wreaked on an already-suffering country and how the devastation seems to worsen, not lessen. I've done what I feel I can by donating time and money to relief efforts from this end. What more can we do?
Recently, the Heart of Haiti organization has emerged, offering the first sustainable income to Haitians since the earthquake, enabling Haiti's artisans to start feeding and clothing their families again as well as facilitating their earning the money they need to start rebuilding their homes and their lives. The Heart of Haiti initiative was founded by Willa Shalit and her company, Fairwinds Trading, a for-profit company that leverages businesses as an economic empowerment strategy for people, especially women, in the Majority World -- the part of the world where most of the world's people live in poverty.
Heart of Haiti's products are now available for purchase through a partnership with Macy's. You can see some of these beautiful items here. Many, like the gorgeous picture frame shown above, are handcrafted from the steel of recycled oil drums. 22% of the purchase price of these items goes directly to the artisans, resulting in bettering their lives. The holidays may be over, but I'm going to be stocking up on some of these items to give as hostess gifts, for Valentine's Day, and for Mother's Day -- occasions when I'm going to shop anyway; it might as well be for a cause as worthy as this one. Please consider how you can continue to help Haiti, through this or other worthy initiatives working hard for recovery.
More information on the Heart of Haiti Project and the products for purchase can be found at http://www.macys.com/heartofhaiti. More information on the Heart of Haiti founder and Fairwinds Trading CEO Willa Shalit can be found here.
I was selected for this very special "CleverHaiti" opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as do I. All opinions are my own.
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