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Haiti - Economy : Art gives a new life to 350 Haitian families
01/05/2011 14:17:13

It's spring, and signs of Haiti's economic recovery are popping up in surprising ways: handcrafted quilts from Port-au-Prince, papier-mâché vases from Jacmel, and jewelry from Croix des Bouquets -- all on store shelves throughout the United States, said a statement from the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.

More than 350 Haitian families are now able to provide food and afford schooling for their children thanks to the incredible success of our Fairwinds Trading project. This program is enabling a community of Haitian artists to produce market-ready goods for sale in the United States, and it's been very successful thanks to multiple orders from retailers like Macy's and Anthropologie.

The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund awarded a loan of $174,832 to Fairwinds Trading in January of this year. Fairwinds Trading supports hundreds of artisans by giving them the logistics support, design guidance, and the US market connections that they need to export their art.

The artists participating in this program are eager to earn their own livelihoods, proud to contribute to their "Ayiti Cheri" and are very optimistic, an optimism that is contagious and that energizes the whole community.

"I am an artist who belives in my country and I love Haiti very much. I am 42 years old, and if Gof continues to watch over me, I have only just begun work for my country" exclaims Onel Bazelais, an artist who participates in the program.

HL/ HaitiLibre