Over the past 4 years I have volunteering, teaching and working in the Dominican Republic with Haitian Refugees. I teach English, Spanish and attempt to do fundraisers but give a lot of money personally for projects such as the "Colmado Projects," "the Girl Effect," Uniforms to get Haitian Children into Dominican Schools," and generally promoting ways to learn and promote self sustaining living al
ong with positive reinforcement as a way to better understand. Our goal for the year's end is to promote the beautiful products of Mexican women and broaden their market to the US. We are helping these women by using prophet sharing and Fair trade on all the products they provide to sell along with teaching tools.. In turn, I take samples of the products such as beautiful bags, make up bags, carrying cases for whatever you like, smaller purses for just a few things or an evening out. We initially started with the local "island style headbands" which were a huge hit all over. The cell phone cases that fit anything from cell phones can hold your money, passport, and change. Especially great for something small with a strap when you are traveling or going to festivals, etc where you need something small to carry things. The Haitian women have very few exports and opportunities to promote the very few exports they have to sell due to the discrimination and over all being segregated to slums, that are technically called: Bateys. These Mexican made products from wonderfully talented women are shared with the Haitian women to help teach them how to (not replicate the bags) however, make them there own but use them as a teaching tool. I hope by the end of the year and the sales of these bags, headbands, and accessories to open a year round teaching center that has the equipment as well as a teacher to teach the girls and women to sew these bags and accessories and hopefully make them equally as beautiful as the ones from my ladies in Isla Mujeres!
