One year ago, on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, a catastrophic earthquake struck Haiti. In the twelve days that followed, at least 52 aftershocks, all measuring at least 4.5 on the Richter scale – the original was a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, were recorded. The Haitian government estimated that 230,000 people died, 300,000 were injured, and 1,000,000 people were made homeless. A million people – made homeless!
It was on the news for a while, and then, of course, it dropped off. The BP oil spill shifted everyone’s attention to a different calamity. Most people slowly forgot about Haiti.
But the problem is still there, and Heart of Haiti is attempting to help fix it. Heart of Haiti was founded by Willa Shalit as a way to create a sustainable income for Haitians, in cooperation with Macy’s. The Heart of Haiti project has already employed 450 artists in Haiti, and provided financial benefits for an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 people.
How do they do this?
Macy’s sells handcrafted items, created by artisans from Haiti. The artisans receive 22% of the retail price of the items. In addition, Heart of Haiti offers artisans the opportunity for artists to collaborate with US designers, should they so choose.
You can view the items available for purchase at the Macy’s website. Items range from sculptures, to bowls, picture frames, candle holders, and vibrant canvas prints. My favorite item is the Fire Bird Hurricane candle holder, pictured below:
It was created from recycled scrap metal from oil drums. How cool is that?!
Take a look at the rest of the items for yourself, and see what you think. And please keep Haiti in your hearts, thoughts, and prayers.
I was selected for this very special “CleverHaiti” opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity. All opinions are my own.
