The images of Port-au-Prince on the news were scary. It didn’t look like many could have survived. It was too much.
Just days before the earthquake I was in Haiti. The holidays had just passed and I spent an amazing time on vacation there. It was the first time I traveled to Haiti since I was in 2nd grade.
I’ll never forget that summer in Haiti. It was 1984 and my brother and I spent the summer with our cousins and grandparents. I remember walking through the airport when we arrived. On the way to my grandparents’ I remember being so mesmerized by the mountains. I had seen them in photos but seeing them in real life was such a sight.
That summer was one of my favorites. I remember one night dancing in the dark with my cousins to Let’s Hear It for the Boy. All summer we found new adventures but one thing seemed consistent- Corn Flakes for breakfast. And Griot. Fried pork never tasted so good!
Thirty plus years later, who knows how accurate my memories actually are. Still, that summer as a child in Haiti shaped so many things about my adult life. I left that summer knowing who I was and where I came from. Although I spent so many years away I was tied to that experience and always wanted to go back to Haiti. Timing was never good. Finally in 2011, my parents decided it was time to go back.
After that trip, I had a new fire in me. I wanted to go back and do more. Soon, I learned about a group of bloggers traveling to Haiti and I reached out and invited myself. The Everywhere Agency and Artisan Business Network welcomed me with open arms to join them with the Macy’s Heart of Haiti teams as a “Blogger4Haiti.”
Heart of Haiti works with artisans throughout Haiti and sells their art and crafts in its stores. This program is a trade not aid program that creates sustainable income streams that changes the lives of the artists and their communities one sale at a time. In addition to working with Heart of Haiti, we worked with women like OFEDA and the Apparent Project. We travel the country, meet the artisans, and share their stories with our communities.
I would have never thought that I would find such a community unselfishly devoted to the little island most people never heard of until the earthquake. Last week, we celebrated a milestone for the program. I was invited to attend a private event in honor of Heart of Haiti and the work they have done since the earthquake. The event was held at one of the landmark stores, Macy’s Herald Square. Haitian dignitaries, Macy’s executives, some of the artisans, and key influencers were in attendance. As Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren said during the event, Macy’s was a first responder after the earthquake. Since Heart of Haiti was created, big name designers like Kenneth Cole and my favorite, Rachel Roy, have been involved.
What an honor it has been to work with the Everywhere and Heart of Haiti teams. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had as a blogger.
Another group of bloggers will be traveling to Haiti mid February to continue the work. I hope you’ll keep up with their journey by following @HeartofHaiti on Twitter and the hashtag #Bloggers4Haiti.
Thank you to Danika, Willa, Nat, and the entire Everywhere and Macy’s team for their work and allowing me to have been a part of the program.
Want to help Haiti? Do some shopping! Each Heart of Haiti purchase goes back to the artisans and their communities. You can find beautiful work in the home goods department throughout Macy’s stores or online at Macys.com/heartofhaiti.
Disclosure: My trip to New York was sponsored by the Everywhere Agency.
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