Hi everyone! Rachel, Rylie, and Avery here! Today our team got the privilege of going to Deux Mains (also known as Rebuild Globally). At this place, the employees take tires that can no longer be used and turn them into profitable merchandise. Some of the coolest things they make there include; sandals, passport covers, bags, jewelry and so much more. The story of how the Haitian profit shareholder came to this idea of taking old tires and making a new purpose for them is truly inspiring. Job creation in Haiti is a very important part of overcoming the poverty and the unemployment rates. The jobs offered at Rebuild Globally offer new opportunities for good pay that can give them more security in their futures and for their families. The recycling of inner tubes is also used to create products at Deux Mains.
After spending our morning at Deux Mains, we went to Dios. Dios is an orphanage for children with special needs. In the Haitian culture, special needs children are often abandoned because the time and cost of caring for a child with special needs is so high. The kids at Dios are full of pure happiness every time we come. We took time to play soccer, do parachute games, jump rope, and color with the kids, which we could see meant the world to them. Despite their disabilities they were able to play soccer and jump rope just as any other kid would. The kids absolutely loved running back and forth under the parachute and shaking the edges while their friends ran underneath. One thing that stood out about this orphanage was all of the brightest, most beautiful smiles that were on all of the kids' faces. We all really enjoyed our time at Dios and left knowing the children were happy and being taken care of.
In the last part of the day we visited Papillon. Papillon is an organization that provides jobs for Haitians in the community. They create all sorts of things to sell, such as: wheel thrown pottery mugs, t-shirts, clay jewelry/ jewelry made from cardboard cereal boxes,and metal artwork. Papillon means "Butterfly" in French. Around the world, people view the butterfly as representing endurance, change, hope, and life. Papillon Marketplace is a fair-trade certified, socially conscious lifestyle brand dedicated to supporting at-risk mothers and fathers with full-time artisan jobs in Haiti. Papillon’s mission of orphan prevention and family preservation through job creation has proven itself to be a viable solution for the current poverty orphan crisis affecting many developing nations. Papillon founder, Shelley Jean was featured in the Netflix documentary, Poverty Inc., which showcased the positive impact of Papillon's methodology and approach to economic and social reform in Haiti. We are thankful our team got the chance to see and the support the impact this organization has on the community of Haiti.
