Haiti Made Blog

Mother's Day Gift Guide

 

Mother's Day is just around the corner, and we're here to help you show your mom just how much you love and appreciate her! We've curated some top picks for every kind of mom! 

 

 

Singing Rooster Coffee

For the coffee drinker. Drink in the good — Fair Trade, high quality, roasted in small batches. Singing Rooster reinvests 100% of coffee sales profits back to Haitian farmers and their communities in the form of projects that improve coffee production, land management, small business development, and entrepreneurship.

 

 

Chak Jou Tote

For the one that is "always prepared." Our take on Mary Poppins' bag. Designed to make a statement while keeping your things easily accessible, our Chak Jou Tote is the perfect-sized tote that works for every day of the week.

 

 

Avoka Bracelet

For the accessorizer. The Avoka bracelet is handmade and a beautiful and versatile accent to any outfit.

 

 

Bande Tote

For the bold. Bande Tote will make a statement in every setting. You don’t have to compromise on durability for style, the stylish Bande Tote is made for years of use.

 

 

Dosye II Medium Portfolio

For the planner. This sleek smaller portfolio is great for keeping everything your mom needs in one place.

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Exciting News from Haiti Made! 🇭🇹

Exciting News from Haiti Made! 🇭🇹

Dear friends and supporters of Haiti Made and it’s amazing Artisans,

We come to you today with some new and exciting information. As of this month, Haiti Made will be going back under the leadership of the Hands & Feet Project. Many of you will remember, Haiti Made was started as a program under the non-profit organization back in 2012. In the past six years, we have grown the Haiti Made team to 45 full and part-time team members. They are the heartbeat of Haiti Made. Together, we have been united around quality products, dignified jobs, and economic sustainability in an effort to diminish the poverty cycles in Haiti. Simply put, our hope has been to create jobs, support families and grow communities. Hands & Feet Project is united in this same hope.

Please understand, this is anything but the end for Haiti Made, it is a new beginning. A beginning that we hope will offer new opportunities, provide key stability, and above all, help both Haiti Made and Hands & Feet Project execute and fulfill their respective missions.

Lastly—and most important of all—from Haiti Made, thank you to all our customers, partners, and followers for all you did over the past 6 years. Your incredible and generous support year after year made our mission possible. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, all of you were the force behind our mission to build and create a circle of trade centered around quality products, dignified employment, and endless opportunity and possibility for the Haiti Made team. We will never forget what you helped us accomplish.

There’s much more in store for Haiti Made in the future, and we look forward to each of you being a part of that. Stay tuned for an exciting 2023 to come, and here’s to a future filled with health, prosperity, love, faith, and hope for Haiti!

With Gratitude,  

Haiti Made

 

Make sure to join Hands & Feet Project’s mailing list at the link below, and to follow Hands & Feet Project and Haiti Made on social media to keep up with the ongoing story! 

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Help us fight Haiti’s orphan crisis! Help support Hands & Feet Project with our 15% giveback this month!

Help us fight Haiti’s orphan crisis! Help support Hands & Feet Project with our 15% giveback this month!





In partnership with Hands & Feet Project this month of June 2022, you can support Hands & Feet Project when you shop online at Haiti Made! With every order, big or small, Haiti Made will donate 15% of all online sales to Hands & Feet Project through to the end of June!




As most who know Haiti Made already know, our history and story have long been intertwined with Hands & Feet Project. Created by Hands & Feet Project in 2014, Haiti Made was born out of a need to create vocational opportunities and dignified employment for the young adults transitioning out of Hands & Feet Project's care and into a life of independent adulthood.


Despite the separation of Haiti Made and Hands & Feet Project in 2017, with the creation of Haiti Entrepreneurial Initiative (HEI) as Haiti Made’s new parent organization, one of the pillars of our mission at Haiti Made has been to continue to provide work opportunities and employment for the transitional young men and women at Hands & Feet Project when possible. Whether a permanent place of employment or just a stepping stone to other dreams and careers, Haiti Made continues to provide work opportunities for transitional young men and women at Hands & Feet Project.






While our mission and vision at Haiti Made is continuing to develop quality goods made in Haiti and create dignified employment for Haitians that makes a generational and community-wide impact, Hands & Feet Project has continued the fight against Haiti’s orphan crisis and the poverty-driven cycles of neglect, abandonment, trafficking, and slavery that have fueled Haiti’s orphan crisis.





The fight against Haiti’s orphan crisis is won by keeping Haitian families together. That means the provision of essential social services, medical care, education, family-style residential care, and job stability that help elevate Haiti’s poverty-driven child abandonment and child slavery cycles. Where not possible to keep families together, Hands & Feet Project, under the guidance of Haiti’s Child Protective Services, provides holistic, residential care for children in crisis by providing Children’s Villages with multiple family-style homes led by Haitian Caregivers.


To date, Hands & Feet Project's impact in Jacmel, Grand-Goave, and Haiti as a whole has been wide-reaching. Since its founding in 2004, Hands & Feet Project has provided homes for 123 children, prevented 130 children from experiencing separation from their families, and employed 370 individuals in the community.







Every donation counts as Hands & Feet Project continues fighting to keep families together amidst Haiti’s growing orphan crisis. That’s why through to the end of June, Haiti Made will donate 15% of all online sales to Hands & Feet Project directly. With every online Haiti Made order, big or small, you will not only help advance our mission, but you will also be helping advance Hands & Feet Project's mission as well.


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Shop Small, Make a Big Difference: A job for one changes the lives of many in Haiti

Shop Small, Make a Big Difference: A job for one changes the lives of many in Haiti


 

Shop Small, Make a Big Difference: A job for one changes the lives of many in Haiti.

Since day one our mission at Haiti Made has been to develop quality goods made in Haiti, create dignified employment for Haitians, and promote economic sustainability in Haitian communities to end the deep-rooted cycles of poverty that have long existed in the country. Our mission focuses holistically on the big picture to elevate Haitians and Haitian families out of poverty in a long-term way that truly makes a generational and community-wide impact. Job creation, employment, and economic sustainability means the provision, stability, and preservation of families, and on a larger scale, communities.


In Haiti, a job is more than just a job. A job means hope, dignity, and an ever-present and tangible indication that the future holds incredible opportunity and possibility. A job in Haiti also means the provision, stability, and preservation of the family, as one job often supports up to ten others in a household in Haiti.


A job for one changes the lives of many in Haiti, and that is no different here at Haiti Made. With every Haiti Made purchase (big or small) you are not only helping create dignified employment and the ability for each Haiti Made team member to earn a living wage at Haiti Made, but you are also helping provide support, opportunity, and hope to each Haiti Made team member and their family.


Because of you
, each Haiti Made team member makes a living wage that is at least 2-3 times Haiti's minimum wage, a living wage that goes far beyond the wage earner to support countless others. Your purchases at Haiti Made directly make a difference, and it’s because of you that our mission is possible. Thank you, we could not do what we do without you!


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Haiti Made from Start to Finish: The Story Behind Our Leather

Haiti Made from Start to Finish: The Story Behind Our Leather

What makes our leather goods different? From start to finish, our leather goods are proudly 100% made in Haiti. Not only are all Haiti Made leather goods thoughtfully designed and meticulously handcrafted throughout each step of production here at our workshop in Grand-Goave, Haiti, all of our raw leather materials are made in Haiti as well.

 

Since our founding in 2014, Haiti Made has partnered exclusively with Hawtan Leathers (Cuirs Hawtan) to supply all of our raw leather material needs. A premier international leather manufacturer and distributor based in Massachusetts and Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Hawtan has one of the largest tanneries in the Caribbean and has operated continuously in Haiti since 1970. Hawtan’s Port-au-Prince tannery and processing facilities employ 100+ Haitians and are large enough to process 700,000 square feet of custom leather and raw leather monthly.

 

 

 

Hawtan supplies leather to companies across the Americas, Asia, and Europe, and we are proud to be one of them. Being able to partner with and support a local Haitian business like Hawtan’s Port-au-Prince tannery, while they provide us with high-quality leather is crucial to the big picture of our mission which is to build and create a circle of trade centered quality goods made in Haiti, to create dignified employment for Haitians, and to promote economic sustainability in Haitian communities to end the deep-rooted cycles of poverty that have long existed in Haiti.

 

 

To get a great final product, you have to start with great raw materials. Our certified vegetable-tanned (veg-tan for short) leather from Hawtan is old-world saddle grade leather made from cowhides that come from certified grass-fed cows in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Iowa. Processed at Hawtan’s Port-au-Prince tannery, our certified veg-tan leather is made using a special process that utilizes natural tannins made from organic materials.

The veg-tan leather tanning process is slow and artisanal. Many other companies use chrome-tanned leather which utilizes chromium and is more quickly processed, but chromium is a heavy metal that is toxic to the environment and the workers processing it. Veg-tan leather might be a more expensive and difficult way, but to us, it’s the right way. In addition to it being a more natural and organic process, veg-tan leather is unique in that it has a distinctive “leather” aroma, rather than the typical chemical odor of chromium-tanned goods. With every Haiti Made leather product, you will touch, smell, and see the distinction and superiority of veg-tan leather over chromium-tanned leather.

 

 

 

After being artisanally processed at Hawtan’s tannery our certified veg-tan leather arrives at our workshop in Grand-Goave to be artisanally handcrafted into a beautiful Haiti Made leather product. Each leather product is 100% cut, stitched, and stamped with the Haiti Made logo by hand, and coated with neatsfoot oil to condition and further protect the veg-tan leather. Stitching by hand on veg-tan leather creates a stitch that is extremely durable, much stronger, and more elegant than a stitch created with a sewing machine.

 

 

 

Craftsmanship is what makes Haiti Made. Some Haiti Made leather products are made, start to finish, by one Haiti Made team member individually. Other Haiti Made leather products require a more collaborative production effort and thus have been touched and made with many different hands, each doing their part to get to the final product. The beauty of handcrafted means a part of each Haiti Made team member is imprinted on each Haiti Made product like a piece of art.

 

 

 

One of the best things about our veg-tan leather goods aside from their durability is the fact that you make them your own. The artisanal techniques used by Hawtan to make our high-quality vegetable-tanned leather means that instead of degrading and deteriorating, all Haiti Made leather goods will soften and develop a beautiful patina as they age. With day-to-day use over time, our veg-tan leather goods show their character with a strong leather patina, a.k.a the natural accumulation of dirt, oils, sunlight, and wear and tear that combines to create a darkened, sheened, and softened look. This look tells a story, and through everyday use, your own Haiti Made leather goods will develop a patina that will tell your story, a story that started in Haiti.

From start to finish, our leather goods are proudly 100% made in Haiti.

 

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The Meaning of Fatherhood featuring the Dads at Haiti Made

The Meaning of Fatherhood featuring the Dads at Haiti Made

As Father's Day approaches we are again reminded of our mission and the impact that we’ve made in the lives of not only our employees but their families as well. Currently, there are three fathers (Laurencin, Jean Sonet, and John Fendy) employed at Haiti Made. Like the mothers at Haiti Made, these dads are key leaders on the Haiti Made team.

In honor of this group of dads, we sat down to reflect and discuss the joys of fatherhood and what it means to them. Bònn Fèt Dè Pè! (Happy Father's Day!) 

 

Jean Sonet – Jean Sonet is the father of two young boys, a 3 year-old and a 1 year-old. To Jean Sonet, fatherhood is the biggest transition in a man's life and you must be there for your children in every way. As Proverbs 22:6 instructs us, correctly raising, providing for, and sufficiently being in the lives of your children enough is most important. One of his favorite parts of being a father is the feeling he gets when he returns home from work at Haiti Made and both of his kids run to him shouting daddy, daddy, daddy. There are so many other special moments that happen day-to-day.

 

John Fendy – John Fendy is the proud new father of a baby boy named Fenshee. Fatherhood to John Fendy means being mature and responsible in all areas of your life, your child comes first before everything else and you must plan accordingly. While there are challenges, he loves the changes that becoming a father has brought to his life, especially every moment where he gets to hold his child and share smiles.

 

Laurencin – Laurencin is the father of a 9 year-old and a 10 year-old. To Laurencin, becoming a father is a life-changing experience that changes every way you think and act. You must work harder than ever to not only provide for them but to also be there as a teacher so you can raise them and help them grow up to be the adults you want them to be. This is important for not only you as a father but for society as well.

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Mother's Day Celebration at Haiti Made

Mother's Day Celebration at Haiti Made

Since day one our mission at Haiti Made has been to develop quality goods made in Haiti, create dignified employment for Haitians, and promote economic sustainability in Haitian communities to end the deep-rooted cycles of poverty that have long existed in the country. Our mission focuses holistically on the big picture to elevate Haitians and Haitian families out of poverty in a long-term way that truly makes a generational and community-wide impact. Job creation, employment, and economic sustainability means the provision, stability, and preservation of families, and on a larger scale, communities.

As Mother’s Day approaches we are reminded of our mission and the impact that we’ve made in the lives of not only our employees but their families as well. Currently, there are eleven mothers employed at Haiti Made and we want to recognize and celebrate this incredible group of dedicated moms who are at the heart of the Haiti Made team. They are an inspiration to us each day, as they work hard supporting their families at home and perfecting their craft at Haiti Made. We hope you’re inspired by them as much as we are! Bòn fèt dè mè! (Happy Mother's Day!)


Cinelia – the mother of one boy, she has been with Haiti Made since 2017.


Denise – the mother of one girl, she has been with Haiti Made since transitioning from the Hands & Feet Project in 2018.


Fabie – the mother of one boy, she has been with Haiti Made since 2017.


Immacula – the mother of one boy, she has been with Haiti Made since 2017.


Madam Edon – the mother of two girls and one boy, she has been with Haiti Made since 2014.


Magdala – the mother of two boys, she has been with Haiti Made since 2017.


Mila – the mother of one girl and two boys, she has been with Haiti Made since 2014.


Mireille – the mother of two girls and two boys, she has been with Haiti Made since 2014.


Olga – the mother of three girls and one boy, she has been with Haiti Made since 2017.


Phara – the mother of three, she has been with Haiti Made since 2014.


Yppomène – the mother of three girls and four boys, she has been with Haiti Made since 2017.
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Celebrating a Life Well Lived at Haiti Made

Celebrating a Life Well Lived at Haiti Made

It's with great sadness that we announce the passing of "EYA" (pronounced "AH YEAH" - his nickname because his favorite thing was saying “ah yeah” to everything asked of him), one of our Haiti Made employees.

Our team decided to share Eya's story with all of you because through his work at Haiti Made, his presence within our company made a big difference.

While it is common in America to see disabled adults working at jobs in the community, it's not as common in Haiti. When our team spotted Eya and offered him an opportunity to work for Haiti Made, he showed up an hour earlier than needed the next day. He worked hard making beanies, or many other products we sell with minimal assistance and a smile on his face. He was known for always giving a thumbs up, this was his way of indicating everything was alright, he could do what we asked him to do.

The contributions he made at Haiti Made were a clear demonstration that a Haitian man with Down Syndrome can learn to develop good work skills, grow deep connections with his co-workers, and independently walk his path.

While we are sad to lose him, we are so proud of him and the mark he has made on his community and his country. Our staff will pursue to employ those who are marginalized, seen as too different to contribute, those who may just need an opportunity to give us a thumbs up.
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Good things have come from your orders! Update on our work in Haiti.

Good things have come from your orders! Update on our work in Haiti.

At Haiti Made, our mission is to employ those who are marginalized in Haiti. We strive to provide workers a consistent opportunity to earn a living for themselves and their families. To live a dignified, self-sustaining life within their community.

While most of our Haitian team come from very humble backgrounds, their work speaks of their joy and gratitude. We extend a sincere thank you to all the people who purchased products from us in 2019. Our staff is ending the year with full hearts and in great anticipation of new opportunities that will come in 2020.

For the past year, the country of Haiti has experienced many trials. There has been much conflict between the citizens and the government of Haiti. Many days of planned shutdowns by the Haitian citizens have presented challenges to our operations team. Through all of it, our Haitian and American teams have persevered through the difficulties.

In the coming weeks, we plan to roll out new products delayed by the conflicts, freshen up our website, and move our manufacturing site. Our team has been working hard to get all our equipment, raw goods, and operations ready to go.

As we enter our third year of business, we're looking for your input on what we can do better. Your thoughts help shape the way we create, produce and ship our products to you. Put your thoughts in the comment box below. We'd love to hear from you!

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Introducing Haiti Made FC!

Introducing Haiti Made FC!

Haiti-Made-Soccer-Team-1-2Introducing Haiti Made FC! This past month we had the pleasure of organizing a Haiti Made soccer team for a local soccer tournament headed up by Pastor Lex at Mission of Hope in Grand-Goâve. The team sported AC Milan-esque uniforms which feature a color scheme and style similar to Haiti's historic red and black national colors. The team performed very well, achieving a final record of 3-1-2 and making the top 8 in the tournament before losing in the knockout round.

 

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Peterson and Claudeson served as the team's coaches. The team itself consisted of Jonas, Fendy, Wodlin, Romy, Michel, Parker, Jameson, Louines, Avril, Luckson, Erick, Etzer, Schnayder, Eberson, Filius. Haiti Made's Haiti Operations Coordinator, Parker Touchton also pitched-in and played a few matches too! We are very proud of how they all performed together, with a high level of fair play and teamwork. We can't wait to see how they'll do at the next tournament!

Like almost everywhere else in Latin America and the Caribbean, soccer is the most popular sport in Haiti. So the next time you are in Haiti, make sure you know a couple of soccer related words in Haitian Creole!

Here's a small cheat sheet of soccer related words in Creole for you!

    • Soccer = Foutbòl
    • Game = Jwèt
    • Field = Teren
    • Ball = Boul
    • Goal = Gòl
    • Kick = Choute
    • Kick the Ball = Choute Boul La
    • Pass = Pase
    • Pass the Ball = Pase Boul La
    • Coach = Antrenè
    • Player = Jwè
    • Forward = Avannsant
    • Midfield = Milye Teren
    • Defense = Defans
    • Goalkeeper = Meyè Gadyen
    • Team = Ekip
    • Win = Genyen
    • Lose = Pèdi
    • Champion = Chanpyon
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Meet Our Team: The Haiti Made Portrait Series

Meet Our Team: The Haiti Made Portrait Series

For us, one of the things we are most proud of is that we have such a diverse team who come from all walks of life. Some Haiti Made staff are mothers and homemakers, others are young adults transitioning from Hands and Feet to the workforce at Haiti Made and studying at university, and some are just seasoned craftsmen and craftswomen who’ve spent most of their working careers using their hands to create beauty in one way or another. Each staff member has their own unique story and life experience. From this, the wide range of talents and abilities that each staff member brings to the team is truly one of our greatest strengths.

Most who have followed us since the beginning or have visited us here in Haiti already know many staff members, but with 50+ staff on the team now there are likely many who you have not met nor know by name.

We want to change that.

This June we will be starting a portrait and interview series that features all current Haiti Made staff. Follow the series on any of our social media accounts below.

We invite you to meet the team and to get to know us all better!

A special shoutout to Nathan Piper and Zach Shores for the photography on this project!
 

   

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Our New Home at Taïno Beach

Our New Home at Taïno Beach

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Most who know us and have visited us in Grand-Goâve will know that Haiti Made operations were proudly based at Ikondo, the upscale hosting facility and initiative founded by the Hands and Feet Project. Since the beginning of this year however, Haiti Made operations have moved from Ikondo to a larger facility just outside of Grand-Goâve proper at Taïno Beach. The effort put forth in moving our operations has been considerable, but through these changes we are very excited for what the future holds.

 

We are grateful to Ikondo for these past few years and for our partnership that allowed us to grow to the company we are today in 2018. Our facility at Ikondo was a truly beautiful space for us to house our operations and for Haiti Made staff to blossom their skills and creativity. The Ikondo facility also allowed guests to get an up-close and personal experience of Haiti Made operations and production processes, which is something that few other companies can say they offer. (FYI - visitors of Ikondo, Hands and Feet, or anyone in the Grand-Goâve area are free to visit us at our new facility!)

 

As our 2017 year in review post attests to, we’ve undergone significant growth over the past year and a half, which required us to increase our staff size and overall output. The growth left us with the clear need for more facility space which would allow us to boost our production output and quality, while ensuring our staff could continue to thrive.

 

With immense blessing, we were able to source a larger facility just a few miles down the road from Ikondo at Taïno Beach, and now we can proudly call this facility our new home. The facility will serve as a unifying building for Haiti Made, bringing together teams of staff who were previously slightly disjointed into a more centralized location. The new Haiti Made facility boasts new amenities, sustainable solar-powered electricity, and large common areas and open air spaces for our staff as well.

 

With the new facility at Taïno Beach, we are excited for the future as we now have the ability and capacity to manufacture more largescale custom product orders and high-quality custom retail goods for our partners. As such, the future of Haiti Made is moving more toward these segments of business. We thank God for all that we have been blessed with at Taïno Beach, and we look forward to the future as we start new and exciting ventures, create new products, and begin new partnerships!

 

Pictures of our facility at Taïno Beach below!

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