On my last trip to Haiti in January, I was able to meet up with a fellow Haiti-lover Dina Simon, from My Haiti Travels. We both were in Haiti during the time of her organized trip for what she calls "Impact Week," which included a large, diverse group of tourists experiencing Haiti for 5 days. The group volunteered, attended parties, cultural events, excursions and beautiful beaches. Here's my experience with My Haiti Travels...

Dina and I had planned to meet up with her group at Magdoo's (a Lebanese restaurant) in PV the Friday that I arrived to Haiti. I asked Frere Joel and his wife Yvonne from La Bonne Nouvelle meet us and luckily they were able to make it. The group was so happy to have them there! 

Dinner was absolutely wonderful. We were greeted with open and loving arms from the group...kind of like celebrities! Everyone mingled, ate and got along so well. What was most impressive was seeing Dina in action. Her ability to coordinate everything to make it run smoothly was super! She kept checking on everyone and making sure that we were all ok. Her genuine care and love for this type of work was obvious!

I was in Haiti on this trip for business, checking out a guest house to do some marketing for a company. Unfortunately, the house was not ready and didn't have basic necessities that were promised to us. When I told Dina about our dilemma, she immediately started giving me phone numbers and names of people to contact to get a hotel room. She let us know that the group would be at Wahoo Bay the next day and helped arrange for us to stay there, too. We could have gone to a family members house, but we had so much fun with the group that we decided to take her up on the offer of an extra room she had booked at Wahoo Bay (it was sold out!). 

All of the coordination, patience and communication with Dina was very professional. I am so happy that we were able to meet in person and in Haiti! I would recommend using My Haiti Travels for your next trip to Haiti!

Haiti and art are two of my most favorite things! If you love art and inspiring others, please consider going! It's affordable and you will have memories to last you a lifetime! You will love Haiti, I promise :)

Here's some background on the trip from their website:
In 2010, after the earthquake, Laurel True, mosaic artist, found her way to ACFFC to join up with our ACFFC youth and work began on the first mosaic installation, Tree of Life, memorializing those lives lost and celebration of hope for the future. Our children/youth were enthralled, as we were and so Mosaique Jacmel began. Since then, and with the support in the U.S. of Seva off the Mat, RandomAct, The Village Experience, Yogaventures, D&B Tile, Lindbar Products & Design, Ventura Limited and in Port Au Prince Haiti of Gardere Mosaique, Magic Sewing, Lucotex Manufacturing as well as many others, the project has continued. Mosaiced walls and benches are sprouting up all over Jacmel. And there is more to come. In 2012, ACFFC was selected as one of 11 recipient organizations for funding with Development Funds from the E.U. and the Ministere of Culture and Communication of the Government of Haiti, as part of a grant program, Arcades, designed for encouragement of initiatives which engender economic and social impact via art and culture. We are honored and appreciative of the support of Arcades.