Thanksgiving – Gratitude & Good Memories
Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I can’t help but reminisce on the many Thanksgivings that were held in my dining room in Haiti over the years. A wonderful friend whose wife was sick with cancer made a huge pallet table for me that was about 16 feet long in exchange for...
What happened to all the money? (The story of aid money in Haiti)
This is how charity and aid also work by nature. People are dependent for a time and the resources get used up quickly and are needed again and again. Unless something changes to make them independent.
Less Jobs + Less Tourism = More Suffering in Haiti
I just walked across the street from the production house to the cafe. The roads are blocked both ways with a dump truck full of sharp splintered rocks. I can’t get a picture as it is too dangerous. There are about 50 men outside yelling and throwing green glass...
![It Takes a Village [How Wholesale Jewelry Orders Change Lives]](https://shelleyinhaiti.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Papillon-Haiti-Village-400x250.jpg)
It Takes a Village [How Wholesale Jewelry Orders Change Lives]
Our business model might be a little upside down at times, but if you could see what we see when a hundred people or two hundred people get called in to work every day because the orders are flooding in, you might also be scratching your head thinking of how you can maximize your labor costs and build a business that is based on lives being saved and changed instead of solely focusing on profit margins!
A Stumble Is Not A Fall
I first heard this proverb in Haiti and it struck a chord with me. I did some research on it and it has been attributed to several different countries and people, but the wisdom remains. Another similar proverb says, “A stumble is not a fall, but rather to move...
An open letter to my fair-trade partners and friends wanting to do sustainable work in the developing world.
When I first moved to Haiti, I had my heart and my head set on trying to create jobs for parents who were at risk for relinquishing their children. What I didn’t really know when I went down there in 2008, was how exactly I was going to accomplish that. My first year,...
Gucci Bags now made in Haiti
I rode on the back of the motorcycle through the bumpy riverbed and headed north for more than thirty miles. I had been holding on for dear life to Maxime, my driver, as we road up the winding route towards Mirebalais, but at some point, we turned off the main road...
Mother’s Day
I got on the phone with my mother last night from Haiti. She and I have both been a part of working in Haiti with a heart for orphan prevention for the past ten years. Some people may wonder what fuels us. Who knows how much of our own stories and hidden memories...
Making An Impact – Shopping Online
The list is drafted at 3:15pm, just before the Papillon artisans are wrapping up a day of work. The work day is slightly shorter than a typical workplace in Haiti. The foundation of the business as one employing mothers who were fighting to keep their kids fed and out...
Riots and Hope
The darkest part of the night always has the hope of the morning. I feel that way today about my Papillon. This year has been hard in every way. While sales continue to be good, setbacks, personal relationships, hurricanes, unexpected expenses and having to grow up...