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Haiti
Shop Today: Crafts from HaitiAid for Haiti
 June 14:
Since the devastating earthquake in Haiti, SERRV has been working diligently with CAH to develop strategies that will support Haitian artisans not just now, but into the future. What artisans told us they want and need most is an opportunity to practice their trade and earn the income needed to support their families. Thousands of skilled and experienced Haitian artisans can return to work if we can help them find new designs and new markets for their products. To that end, SERRV and CAH are in the process of developing a new Haiti creative design center, a partnership which will bring U.S. and Haitian designers together. With new product ideas and marketing assistance, Haitian products will find new export markets in North America, Europe and elsewhere, raising artisan incomes and allowing for a sustainable rebuilding of homes and lives. Cheryl Musch, SERRV's Director of International Development, is in Haiti this week meeting with Gisele to see the results of SERRV’s aid in Haiti and to work on the planning for this new center. May 17:
Please take a look at our special newsletter on Haiti (pdf - may take a minute to open). April 1:
Thanks to the tremendous backing of our supporters, donors, volunteers and staff, we sent 70 additional boxes of aid in a shipping container that we bought for CAH to keep and use for storage. Like our previous shipment, we included things that Gisele, the director of our partner Comite Artisanal Haitien, specifically requested for the artisans, including tarps and tents for the rainy season and tools to build small houses. This shipment included: · 30 dome tents · 180 health kits · 20 heavy-duty tarps · 12 boxes of linens including blankets, sheets and towels · 12 boxes of baby things · 1 crib · 3 boxes of toys · 11 boxes of clothes and shoes · 4 boxes of food · 50 hammers · 10 saws · 24 screwdrivers · Boxes of nails, screws, and ropes · 20 buckets with water filters · 1 electric shredder for the CAH office All of the these items total more than 2,200 pounds! March 30:
Artisans in Haiti received SERRV grants of $300 each for rebuilding after the devastating earthquake earlier this year.March 9:
SERRV's supporters have been incredibly generous with donations for Haiti. Last week, we sent $23,000 to CAH. More than 60 families will receive a grant of $300 each to use for what they need most, whether it be housing, food, tools, or other needs. The funds will be given to stone carvers in Léogane/Gressier, and some artisans from Jacmel, La Vallée and Port-au-Prince.
Many of the stone carvers also received a grant to purchase plywood to rebuild and corrugated metal sheets for their roofs. CAH Director Gisele Fleurant said that the $300 from us will help many of them finish their houses.
We are now looking beyond the initial relief stage to things we can do over the longer term to assist CAH in increasing sales, since many artisans expressed more than anything else the desire for work.
March 5:
On the day the earthquake struck, stone carver Dona Louissaint was sitting on the stoop of his house carving. The house had just been completed 3 months prior, and Dona, his wife Nerline, and his 4-year old son Leonardo were settled in. The house collapsed to the ground, and thankfully, none of them were injured, but their new house was gone. Dona took the corrugated metal from the roof of the house and built the temporary shelter in the background of this photo for his family.
Dona, Nerline, and others working with them are now working on carving a new nativity which will be in the Fall 2010 SERRV catalog. They are thankful for the work, which will give them an income to rebuild.
Photo: Copyright Phil GroutMarch 2:
 Although most of the CAH stone carvers are men, there are a few women carving, like 23-year-old Chena Gilles. Chena and her husband are expecting their second child soon, so about the time of the earthquake she stopped carving to wait for the new baby. She is from a family of carvers. Her brother and her cousins carve, and she learned by watching them work.
For the first few days after the earthquake, more than 20 people from the community huddled together under a straw shelter. Some now have temporary places to live made from reclaimed or purchased building materials. Chena is still sleeping in a makeshift shelter. She said she is saving money for when the baby comes. Chena will be one of the first recipients of a tent from SERRV.
Photo: Copyright Phil Grout
Feb. 25:
Update from Cheryl Musch, SERRV's director of international development, who was traveling in Haiti last week with photojournalist Phil Grout.
Of all the artisans Phil and I visited, the stone carvers were the most affected. The carvers live very near the earthquake epicenter and say they still feel shaking every day. Of 200 carvers, all but 2 or 3 have lost their homes. Many collapsed to the ground and are piles of rubble. Others are not structurally sound. Most sleep under makeshift tents cobbled together with tarps, bed sheets, and straw mats. Many of the tents from SERRV that are currently enroute to Haiti will go to these carvers.
When we asked what they need, nearly all said they need orders to be able to rebuild. They don't expect handouts or assistance, but they do want work. These are men and women are remarkably resilient, and we will be doing all we can to assist them in getting back on their feet.
Photo: Copyright Phil GroutFeb. 22:
Update from Cheryl Musch, SERRV's director of international development, while traveling in Haiti the past week:
Two years ago I was in Haiti. And it is a very different place now, five weeks after the earthquake. I know people have said that there are no words for the devastation. And there really aren’t. The rich and the poor were affected. Homes tumbled, government offices collapsed, schools folded. But it is the poor, who were already living on the edge of poverty, who are most affected. They have no resources on which to draw. And they have gathered in makeshift camps under tarps. Yesterday in front of broken cathedral, I watched an elderly woman climb into the rubble to extract wood to cook an evening meal. Rebuilding has not started, and the rubble has not been cleared. People are not sure of the way forward. There is a vacuum of leadership, coordination, and planning. And yet, making handcrafts has survived and in many ways is more important than ever. If artisans can work, they want to be able to rebuild themselves, especially if their losses were limited. Work brings income, dignity, and hope in this broken country. Feb. 19:
Update from Cheryl Musch, SERRV's director of international development, while traveling in Haiti: In Croix des Bouquets, where a number of SERRV’s recycled metal drum art pieces are made, many of the artisans experienced more limited earthquake damage. Jhonsin Augustin, who has been working with our partner CAH and SERRV for many years, told SERRV staffer Cheryl Musch, “We’re thankful we did not lose anyone, and we thank God we have orders we did not expect.” He continued, “This is our tool to fight poverty. We want more orders to make money to repair and replace what we lost.” Feb. 15:
Cheryl Musch, SERRV’s director of international development, and photographer Phil Grout are traveling to Haiti to visit artisans with Gisele Fleurant, the director of our partner organization CAH. They will visit artisans affected by the earthquake who work with CAH to find out what they need in order to continue their work. Many may need tools replaced. Others may need to rebuild their workshops. And some will need other support in order to earn and income to support their families. Watch for first-hand accounts and photos that will share the stories of Haitian artisans, their resilience, and how SERRV and CAH will support artisans to help them get back to work. Feb. 10:
In response to an order for products from Haiti given to our partner CAH for SERRV's Fall 2010 catalog, director Gisele Fleurant said, "Thank you so much for that new order. That is what the artisans need most. Earning their life with their skills and providing for their families." This order will be distributed to artisans as soon as is feasible, and is a sign of our long-term commitment to Haitian artisans. Feb. 4:
We have our first shipment of 20 boxes loaded in a shipping container, which will leave later this week or early next week. In it are supplies that Gisele, the director of our partner Comite Artisanal Haitien, specifically requested for the artisans. These supplies include:
- 10 7' x 7' dome tents
- 40 crank flashlight/radio combos (each unit is a flashlight and a radio)
- 40 single sheets
- 15 full-size sheets
- 100 towels
- 70 bars of soap
- 220 cans of tuna
- 5 cans of salmon
- 200 bags of rice
- 45 cans of pasta with sauce
Feb. 1:
We are in daily contact with Gisele Fleurant, the director of our partner CAH in Haiti, and she has let us know what the artisans are most in need of right now. Later this week, we will be sending our first shipment of aid. This will include tents, food, crank radios and flashlights, as well as bed sheets, towels, and soap. We plan to assist artisans in this early stage as much as possible, and know that there is significant work ahead rebuilding workshops and replacing tools.
Jan. 25: 
Our partner CAH works in some of the most severely damaged areas near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Léogâne and Gressier, where artisans carve our River Stone Mother and Child, are both near the epicenter of the earthquake. According to a U.N. assessment, the port town of Léogâne was "the worst affected area" in Haiti with an estimated 80% of buildings damaged.
Also near the epicenter is Carrefour, an impoverished largely residential community in metropolitan Port-au-Prince. Much of SERRV’s metal drum art is made in Carrefour, including our Symbolic Cross with Dove. The U.N. estimates that 50% of structures collapsed in Carrefour.
SERRV is committed to helping artisans affected by Haiti's recent earthquake rebuild their homes and workshops.
Jan. 22:
Our partner CAH has received calls from more artisans who have said that they are uninjured but without homes. They are not sure when rebuilding will start because rubble has not yet been cleared and there are still earthquake aftershocks. There are some artisans that they have not yet heard from. Most people are staying close to their neighborhoods, moving around the city only to get water, food, to see friends, and to get news. Gisele Fleurant adds, "Thanks so much for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers."
Jan. 18:
Our partner CAH in Haiti has reported that they have heard from some artisans around the country who said they are OK, but their houses and workshops have collapsed. In Port-au-Prince, damage and injury are much more serious. There CAH has news from only 25 of 100 artisans. Communication is hindered by limited electricity and cell phone reception.
Gisele Fleurant, Director of CAH, sends the following message:
"Thanks to you all for your messages of solidarity and hope. I will transmit that to all the artisans. Be sure that this will be a big help in our recovery process."
Jan. 14:
We are slowly hearing news from our partner CAH in Haiti, and we anticipate that it will take some time to learn more since people are unable to travel in the capital of Port-au-Prince and communication infrastructure has collapsed. We do know that 2 employees of CAH have lost their homes. They are with their families in the street, but will be moving to the CAH office and warehouse on a temporary basis.
Gisele Fleurant, Director of CAH, sent a message saying, "Thanks for caring and keeping us in your prayers!" Jan. 13:A catastrophic earthquake rocked Haiti on January 12, causing widespread damage and an unknown number of casualties. SERRV is trying to reach our long-time partner Comite Artisanal Haitien now, as we are sure many of the artisans with whom we work have been impacted by this disaster.
SERRV has been working with our partner in Haiti for 30 years, and we have the experience and years of on-the-ground contact to get aid to people who need it. We ask you to assist in our efforts.
You can help by:
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Purchasing products from Haiti which will allow us to place new orders as quickly as possible to provide support to artisans and their families.
Please continue to visit www.serrv.org for updates on the situation in Haiti.
- Population: 10 million (UN, 2009)
- Major languages: Creole, French
- Life expectancy: 59 years (men), 63 years (women)
- (UN)GNI per capita: US $660 (World Bank, 2008)
courtesy of BBC News at bbcnews.com
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Comite Artisanal Haitien
Haitian handcrafts are a reflection of the vibrancy and creativity of its people, and for over 30 years, Comite Artisanal Haitien (CAH) has been committed to working with Haitian artisans to find markets for their products to help them earn a dignified living.
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