GETTING TO KNOW ISMAELLA

My name is Ismaella and I am 30 years old. I was born in Port-au-Prince Haiti in 1991. Before I started working for Haiti Design Co. my mom was working there as part of the sewing team. When she spoke to the administration about me, I was able to get hired in 2016. At first, I was a regular employee but then I grew and was integrated in the committee before being promoted manager of the jewelry team called FANM DJANM. This is my position today! I supervise the ladies, I create jewelry samples and keep production going

If I could say more about me, I would say that I am a foodie. I love a lot of dishes! But if I could list just a few things I would say rice and beans, Haitian legim , Eggs and plantain with a fresh salad. My favorite colors are: brown, coral, bordeaux and mahogany.

As a child I always had many ideas and dreams. I wanted to be a veterinary. I wanted to learn many languages. I also loved painting and drawing. After high school I entered law school where I spent 4 years but I do not practice right now. I still have many things I want to accomplish. I am learning English. I do not draw anymore but I use my creative side to make the jewelry which gives me a lot of joy.

My biggest motivation in life is definitely my mom. She gives me strength and motivation for everything that I do. She pushes me to keep going. I always think of our future and this gives me courage to work well. My mom is artistic like me and very good with her hands so we work together. The banderole in the picture above is one we made together for the church. The best lessons I have learned from her are wisdom and humility.

When I am not working, I love being on social media. I love talking to my friends on the phone. We do not physically see each other often but we stay in touch. I consider myself as a peaceful person. I love observing before talking or reacting. I love listening to music: Konpa, Gospel, French songs, English songs…you name it. One of my favorite songs is : “When we were young” By Adele..

Anne-Marjorie rocking her Haiti Design Co earrings

All you need as a Monday Mood Booster is a nice pair of earrings from Haiti Design Co and a bomb Haitian Music playlist 🇭🇹 ✨ “Anye” by Tifane always gets Anne-Marjorie up and ready to tackle the day! What is one Haitian song that always boosts your mood?

An update from Haiti

Hey friends!

Thanks for taking the time to be in this space and support us in the way that you do. I’ve wanted to send an update for a while, but it’s been hard to put words to all the feelings of the situation that continues to cause so much pain and fear in Haiti.

For many it seems the news on July 7th of the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse was a huge shock. I was reading so many headlines in the international news and across social media as if this was a heartbreaking tragedy that was out of the blue. I want to acknowledge the pain and trauma that the former President’s family is experiencing- no one should have to live through that. And simultaneously must say that hundreds of families in Haiti, particularly in Port au Prince- in Village de Dieu, in Martissant, in Delmas 32, know this pain and trauma all too well as it has become the norm of day to day life since 2018, but particularly this year.

Leading up to July 7th, we had experienced on-going peyi lock since the summer of 2018. We had experienced a 200% increase in kidnappings; leaving the house with an uncertainty if you would return became the new norm. We saw the remaining infrastructure of a democracy crumble as the current regime laid a path towards dictatorship. We saw already hurting businesses (ours included) take a devastating hit as the currency was so drastically manipulated last fall. We heard violent threats that were acted out from gang leaders as they expanded their control in many areas. We saw innocent lives such as Evelyne Sincere tragically taken from this earth as kidnappings with no consequence became the norm. We mourn the lives of truth seekers such activist Netty Duclaire and journalist Diego Charles who were not afraid to speak out against the corruption. The physical threat of people speaking out in Haiti is all too real- that’s where we are today.

This all needs to be acknowledged because July 7th was not an isolated event- it was the pot boiling over that has been on the edge for a while.

What I’ve expressed above does not at all encompass the layers of political and international transgressions that contributed to the state of Haiti today, but it does give you an honest sense of what’s been happening in our world.

This space, Haiti Design Co, is meant to be one that uplifts and elevates the beauty and talent of Haiti. Sometimes we have to find a balance between doing that and being honest with what’s going on. Over the years in the wake of a natural disaster or political turmoil we have directed people in this space to buy Haitian made products or donate to a specific project of impact in Haiti. And with a heavy sigh, here we are again. How many more of those messages can we share? It’s all been said.

We try our best to stay focused on what we CAN do- creating jobs, holistic employee support, business start up, promoting Haitian made. Yet…. Many times lately it feels futile.

There is so much around us that can make us feel as if we are drowning- so much uncertainty and elements out of our control. But what I know to be true, to be real- is the impact in our little community from these jobs created. I know there’s a lot we can’t fix, but there is a whole lot of good when we focus on what we can fix.

There continue to be light carriers along the way- local business owners who refuse to give up. Those warriors pressing on against all odds- building, growing, and investing in Haiti based businesses and services. Those who refused to let their joy and vision be stolen from the situation and push forward to invest in the impact they can have around them. And also the customers- you amazing beings showing up to support Haiti made and keeping us working during these dark days.

So today I want to thank those heros (well mostly Sheros really). Thank you for giving us inspiration.

Ou pa janm te bag vag 🖤

Below I’m going to link some of my favorite local Haitian-made businesses that I encourage you to support! Another big support to us would be you joining HDC Fam, our monthly contributors that support our holistic employee programs. You can donate once or join HDC Fam below.

Keep carrying the light forward friends! Pa lage!

-Chandler

Co-founder of HDC

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Haiti-Made Brands We Love

• Pascale Theard: Leather goods, sandals, home decor

• TiSakSuk: Hand painted apparel

• Deux Mains: Sandals, handbags, jewelrys

• 2nd Story Goods: Jewelry, homewares, accessories

• Atelier Calla: Horn & Wood Jewelry

• Onaturell: Natural skin & hair care products and services

• Caribbean Craft: Hand crafted home decor

• Avanti Coffee: Craft roasted, Haiti grown coffee

• Gift of Hope: Jewelry & accessories

• Rosie’s Boutique: Gifts, jewelry, accessories

• Haiti Mama: Jewelry, accessories, subscription box

Decolonization Series: The Playlist

This week we took a break from our interviews to meditate & groove to some powerful decolonization inspired music. This playlist was curated by and features the insanely talented and powerful Riva Précil. We are honored to share it with you and hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Check out what Riva had to share on what decolonization means to her, and head to the bottom of the post to listen to the Dekolonizasyon playlist featuring all Haitian musicians.

Kenbe la!

-HDC Fam

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Decolonization Series Quick Dive:

• What does “decolonization” mean to you personally?

To me it means going back to our roots, before we were stripped of our identities. Connecting with our ancestors and embracing our beautiful culture wholeheartedly. 

• What are you most proud of when thinking about being Haitian and Haitian culture?

Vodou would be at the top of my list; the songs, the traditional garments, the offerings, the colors, the dances, the rhythms, the vèvès, the altars, the entire fabric of Vodou is so multi-faceted and has been fascinating to me since I was a little girl. Runner ups would be traditional Haitian cuisine, art, music and of course the land itself. 

• If you were speaking to a group of Haitian elementary school students about the importance of staying connected with their roots- what would you most want to share?

In order to know who you are, you must know where you came from. It's so important to learn your history and familiarize yourself with the greats who paved the way for us to be here today. 

• We may have someone reading this who is just beginning their personal journey of decolonization. What encouragement or advice can you give them?

  Question everything and trust your instincts. Be discerning when being fed certain information and find sources you can trust as you're doing so. There is so much mixed information out there, especially in this era, that it is important to check your sources as things can be misconstrued, even 'historical facts'. Trust that the ancestors will guide you in the right direction towards the truth.

• How has music affected your own journey of decolonization?

  Music has been an empowering tool for me, I find strength in singing and performing traditional songs that were passed down through generations. It's also a great way to enlighten and educate others through music which is a universal language.

Listen on Spotify: Created as part of the Decolonization Series for Haiti Design Co.

BRIDGING THE GAP

Day 7: BRIDGING THE GAP

In our final day of #HDCFam Week we are focusing on the core value that brings us all together- bridging the gap for and with our artisan families. Today’s essay is written by Jerry, the head of quality control and a member of the leather team at Haiti Design Co.

“My name is Evens, but usually people call me Jerry. I have been working at HDC for a while now, and even met my wife there. She has a daughter that I feel is my own now, and we have our first baby on the way. I’m really happy to have them as my family. 

I manage quality control at Haiti Design Co., which means that I go through every single product to make sure they are perfect before we ship them to our customers. I also work with the leather team, and help lead tours when visitors stop by to see the workshop. I am also a designer, and HDC always provides opportunities for me to use my skills and create new designs.

Something that I really love about HDC is that most people who begin working with us have no idea that they have the ability to do great things, and have the potential to change their community, and then when they start working at HDC, all of these things are revealed. HDC has provided a lot of training, and has helped a lot of dreams to become a reality. 

One of my biggest dreams was to own my own house. My wife and I were always struggling to pay rent every year. Saving for the future isn’t something that exists in my culture or really is even a possibility, but after receiving training at HDC, this changed for me, and my wife and I began saving for our dream.

After participating for a while in a program that Haiti Design Co started called “Save for Tomorrow”, my wife and I sat down and talked with the HDC leaders about our goal of buying a house, and our financial plan to do it. They were so impressed with our motivation and how much we had saved, that they agreed to give us a loan to complete what we needed. 

A mutual friend of ours helped us find a house, and we bought it. Now we have our own house, and I am so proud of that. I really like our home because it looks like a cube, and at night there is a nice breeze that sweeps in and helps me sleep. It has been really fun to make our home more interesting. We have painted the inside white, have put down ceramic tiles, and have begun to purchase appliances. It’s a great feeling to not have to worry about next year’s rent, to not be so stressed, and to just feel so comfortable in your own home. Our home is the nicest house I have ever lived in.

I really appreciate HDC because it is such a unique organization in Haiti. HDC wants to see less people living in poverty, and more people living a vibrant life, but instead of just asking for charity, they instead ask people to take a look at the beautiful products that we create. I don’t have enough time to talk about all of the different things HDC does, but getting to talk about the dream that HDC helped me achieve is a pretty great thing that I wanted to share.