 Have you ever tried to ship something to Haiti?
Now is certainly not the time to try or to attempt to arrange logistics in order to get items to Haiti. As I have been following the news and social media accounts, there are many people trying to 'do their part' by organizing activities to collect items that are needed by Haitians and rescue relief workers. In my opinion, it's a 'feel good' activity that is often self-fulfilling and also temporary. The thought is: If I donate _____, I will feel good because _______ many people will benefit. Then I will move on with my life and feel like I made a difference. Let me break it down to those who don't understand Haiti and the challenges that are associated. In a perfect world, your items would arrive to Haiti and Haitians would get your items in a timely manner and then start using them. In reality, this often never happens because of many logistical issues in getting goods to Haiti. There are professional thieves who stay at the port or even work there that are ready to receive your donated items that they confiscate and never reach those in need. Also, in this particular instance, getting to the south of Haiti in Ley Cayes where the earthquake happened is not easy on a good day. Now add in debris and chaos from the tragic earthquake, country insecurity, foreigners trying to get in on the one-way-in-one-way-out road. I beg you to rethink the way you 'help, donate, organize, collect, etc. for Haiti. When I didn't know any better yet, I advocated for a small non profit to collect backpacks and school supplies for Haiti. It 'felt good' knowing that the items collected would be distributed to those who needed it. Until they weren't. I asked months after the collection if the items arrived and I was told no, they did not have the funds to ship the items and didn't know how to logistically get them there in a way they could afford it. This is where my experience influenced my philosophy. So what happened to the backpacks and supplies? Did they ever make it? Did they end up donated here in the US instead? The donors will never know. Lesson learned for me.... Find orgs and businesses that you can buy from IN HAITI. If you want to help and contribute to the relief efforts in Haiti, consider doing it differently. Haiti doesn't need your old tshirts or tennis shoes. If you buy products from Haitian businesses, you're helping them succeed already. Plus, you're not adding to the chaos logistical nightmare. Here's a short list of orgs and businesses I trust: If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me in the comments.
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Have you ever considered investing in a foreign country? If you have, did Haiti ever come to mind? Chances are the negative image that the (amazing) island has, may have convinced you to stay away. It's not exactly the first place that comes to mind when thinking of opening up a manufacturing operation.
Haiti? Why not? So, why invest in Haiti? As mentioned in the video, Haiti is a virgin country! People are looking for work, they are available and they are willing to do it, with low turnover rates. Sound like a dream? Well, more and more companies are moving into Haiti because of the work ethic of the people, the cost of doing business and a big bonus - fiscal advantages, including tax incentives! It's also a central location, close to so many place, perfect for exporting. What types of industries are possible for investing in Haiti?
Even Coca Cola is in Haiti now! Do you know of any other companies who have been in Haiti or recently invested in it? If you are interested in business opportunities in Haiti, visit CFI Haiti, the maker of this informative video.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Annie Byas/Jihan Antoine TaDaGroupInc@gmail.com 516.808.3487 www.thetadagroup.com TRAVEL JOURNAL AND COOK BOOK FROM CHEF AND CULINARY CURATOR DELECTABLE FOOD ART WITH ORIGINAL HAITIAN RECIPES FOR THE AMERICAN FAMILY HAITI UNCOVERED BOOK REVEALED (September 16th, 2014—New York, NEW YORK) Foreword by New York Times bestselling author Edwidge Danticat, HAITI UNCOVERED: A Regional Adventure into the Art of Haitian Cuisine by Chef Nadege Fleurimond, is a culinary coffee table book that embraces every region and tradition of Haiti. HAITI UNCOVERED will delve into the art of Haitian Cuisine and will bring into focus the beauty of Haiti through its diverse culinary traditions while offering to Haitians and non-Haitians an opportunity to explore and learn. The beautifully bound and illustrated, hard cover book, slated to be released on November 18th 2014, will present and represent the dishes, recipes and cooking traditions, from all the 10 geographical Departments. Fleurimond traveled through multiple cities in Haiti such as Port-Au-Prince, Jacmel, Gonaives, and Cap Haitien among others to absorb and discover the nuances that are inherit in the rich and diverse culture of Haiti. One of the ways to learn about any background that is often unknown is to get to know it one on one, breaking bread, and learn about the culture through one of the most social and yet intimate way...the food. Fleurimond showcased that through her journey in the diverse provinces of her own country and to find a bit of you through her culinary journey. Manje ya pare" Food is ready! “Haiti Uncovered: A Regional Adventure into the Art of Haitian Cuisine is a book that will present an accurate depiction of Haiti's culinary art. Beyond the food, the book will present the reader with a very realistic view of Haitian culture and society through pictures and historical information. This is not just a Recipe book, but rather a look at Haitian culture through a food inspired lens. In essence, this is your chance to rediscover Haiti and to present her in a different light,” said Nadege Fleurimond. The HAITI UNCOVERED cook book will be on pre-sale from $59.99 on August 18th until September 20th This self-published Haitian cook book was developed and created in part with funds raised from Indiegogo campaign created by Nadege Fleurimond with support not only from her friends and family, but from a cross section of individuals with interests in food, culture and history. Fleurimond set goals to produce this culinary memoir by any means to uncover and rediscover the traditional aspects of Haitian cuisine and introduce a contemporary method to enjoying Caribbean food at its best. For interview or feature consideration with Chef Nadege Fleurimond please contact tadagroupinc@gmail.com and visit www.nadegefleurimond.com for more information. About the author: Nadege Fleurimond is the owner of Fleurimond Catering Inc. Utilizing her Haitian culinary background, Fleurimond pulls in world flavors from Asian, Latin American and European Cuisines. She has catered for Ann-Hauser Busch, Paul Weiss, NYC Hall, BET, and The Colbert Report, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Vivica Fox, etc. With varying interests in business, government, & social issues, Nadege graduated with a degree in Political Science from Columbia University. Nadege has been quoted in the New York Times, has appeared on the national television show Chopped on the Food Network, and has been a Food columnist for the Haitian Times Newspaper since 2008. She is also the recipient of the New York Media Alliance’s Ethnic Press Fellowship for 2010 covering the education beat. She also is the recipient of the 2011 Feet in Two Worlds Food Writers Fellowship, which has garnered many awards. The TaDa Group Inc. is a boutique firm that prides on developing personal, highly collaborative relationships with individuals trying to pursue a successful career within every realm. They work with their client's strengths and special talents to customize smart, strategic, and innovative campaigns that will place clients in a position to catapult to greater heights. Their efforts generate increased traffic from viewers; heighten reputations, high-value speaking opportunities, and priceless media contacts and relationships that clients can continue to build on. # # # # A Networking Event for Job Creators in Haiti
Thursday, September 18 The Hotel Montana in Pétion-Ville 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Who should attend:
Click here to register online. If you would like to present your work to the audience, you must register by September 10th. This event will be in English with no translation. Contact Michele Edwards for more information. I don't tell hotels that I am there to review their property when I reserve the room and check in. I was so excited to be in my favorite city in Haiti: Jacmel. The prices on their website are confusing and that led to a big misunderstanding when we arrived. We ended up paying more than we thought based on Internet prices so before you book, just clarify that with them. Because of the hiccup, we moved rooms twice in 3 nights, which was fine because they were trying to be accommodating. The rooms are basic and decorated with Haitian decor...nothing special. {the manager ended up showing us nicer bungalow style rooms when we were checking out, so that's a better option if you want something more modern.} Overall, our stay was good and I was happy they tried to accommodate us after we had the issues in the beginning. Tip: to save on power, the hotel shuts off the electricity for a few hours in the morning and then in the afternoon. It's pretty inconvenient. I under stand doing that at home, but it was tacky for the hotel to do it. The food is okay, but way cheaper outside of the hotel. Here's a link to their website: http://hotelcyvadier.com/home/ 
 For the second year in a row, the Tyrone Bryant Library in Ft. Lauderdale, FL invited us to display Haitian photography and artifacts that we have collected. This year, we were asked to do an activity with children as part as our education for Haitian culture. Of course, we said yes! The event was story time with kids and a kite making workshop - Endy's favorite memory as a child in Haiti. We weren't sure how the kids would react, especially since it's a pretty tedious craft. I was given a stack of books to choose from to read to the kids. As I went through them to choose one, they were either long and boring, full of "facts" or they were completely untrue and negative information about Haiti} earthquake, poverty, illness, etc}. This was not the cultural education that I wanted to share with the kids. So, I chose a book with nice pictures and ad-libbed it through story time, providing my own knowledge and asking the kids about their views of Haiti. I asked the kids to raise their hands if they are Haitian. About 10 did, but I couldn't help but notice a teenager smiling without raising her hand. I knew she was Haitian. She didn't want to admit it, though, which of course I called her out on and told her she should be PROUD. She was shy, pretending she wasn't Haitian. When we started the kites, she sped ahead of everyone and was almost done with hers by the time we were all on step 2. She started to help the other little kids. A few of the little kids knew a lot about Haiti. They said Haitians are creative, there are snakes there, there's sand there, they eat griot and rice and they use goude for money. This all made us very happy, but I am so glad we did this activity with our local community because it just motivates me more to write my own book so we can share it with those who know little or nothing. I am putting it out there again, so I am held accountable, to provide a book for kids that they will feel proud to be Haitian at the end of it. Or, they will know about the real CULTURE in Haiti, not the one the news tells us about {voodoo, stealing, violence}.
Thank you so much for donating to the Art Creation Foundation for Children fundraiser that we hosted on May 4. The event was a blast and we raised $994 thanks to you. We have sent off the money to ACFFC! If you have a moment, please check their website if you haven't already: http://www.acffcjacmelhaiti.com. MESI ANPIL!!! 
I don't have access to the digital edition, so please click on the pdf to read it. The one above is too small!
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