The Haitian Art Sale Connects Two Villages, Worlds Apart

[caption id="attachment_54290" align="alignnone" width="640"] “Preparing to Sail,” Georges Desarmes.[/caption]

By Emily J. Weitz

Chermaitre is a little village in northwestern Haiti, and even though it’s worlds apart, it’s formed a powerful bond with the little village of Sag Harbor. For the past five years, the Haitian Art and Handcraft sale at the Christ Episcopal Church has not only brought beautiful, unique art, jewelry, and crafts to this area. It’s brought awareness about the good work that the Vassar Haiti Project has undertaken, and has funded lasting change in Chermaitre, that have improved the lives of thousands.

The Vassar Haiti Project, operated through Vassar College, has been going on for 15 years, and the mission is three-fold: Raising awareness of the beauty and vibrancy of Haitian art and culture, helping to sustain projects in the realms of education, healthcare, environment, and women’s initiatives, and mentoring Vassar students.

“Our track record has been excellent,” said Lila Meade, Co-Founder of VHP, “using respect, honor, integrity, communication and care for each other in the process of doing these projects.”

[caption id="attachment_54287" align="alignright" width="433"] Doctor Gueslin Joassanvil (Medical Center director) and a young child, outside the clinic in Fiervil.[/caption]

VHP supports a primary school attended by 300 students. The school has an annual budget of $40,000, which includes paying staff, providing supplies, and a lunch program for the children. This past year, VHP added a scholarship program for students to continue their education after 6^th grade at a boarding school in another village. The cost is $1,000 per student. Also, they are now working to complete an expansion of the building, which will house the kindergarten classes.

Other initiatives include reforestation, which will help Chermaitre and its neighboring areas with food security and environmental stability.

“Fifteen thousand trees were planted over 2015-2016,” said Ms. Meade, “one step in a long-term effort to reforest the mountainside.”

The cost is about one dollar per tree, and the goal is to plant 100,000 trees.

Access to healthcare is a major issue for many remote villages, and clinics can provide simple medical treatments that save lives. The Chermaitre Fiervil clinic was completed two years ago and has since provided care to residents of 30 villages.

“Many people walk well over an hour from their homes to get to the clinic,” said Meade. “Dr. Gueslin Joassainvil travels to the clinic twice a month to conduct two-day clinics, and Nurse Rosenerline Marc is full time, and provides medical screening, first aid, and health education.”

VHP is hoping to install solar power, which would allow for refrigeration that would give better access to vaccinations and lab tests.

The Women’s Initiative, which began when a group of 75 self-starting women came together to form a cooperative, provides a space for women to develop business and artisanal skills and to empower one another. Five thousand coffee plants were recently planted, and are expected to have a major impact on the community in the next five years as the fruits are ready to harvest.

“As the Haitian saying goes,” said Ms. Meade, “’women are the backbone of life’. Together with the women of Chermaitre, we are building a better future for them and their community.”

[caption id="attachment_54291" align="alignnone" width="640"] “Wistful Thinking,” Joseph Anderson.[/caption]

The art sale at Christ Episcopal Church is crucial for raising the funds for these projects, and others, to be able to move forward. Since 2002, VHP has sold more than 2,500 paintings and tens of thousands of crafts. In that time, sales have grossed $1.2 million.

“The capital to complete the school came from our first art sale in Sag Harbor in 2008,” Ms. Meade pointed out. “The funds for the construction of the clinic came primarily from art sales at Christ Episcopal Church in Sag Harbor over the past four years.”

This year, the sale will showcase nearly 200 pieces of original artwork, ranging from $50 to $2000, as well as hundreds of handcrafts, like iron sculptures designed and hand-cut and painted by Haitian artists.

[caption id="attachment_54289" align="alignright" width="300"] Pére André Wildaine, our partner in Haiti who oversees our projects and Co-founder Lila Meade on the two hour hike up the mountain from the riverbed.[/caption]

“There is something for everyone,” said Ms. Meade, “plus they know that they are directly impacting the lives of Haitian families in the rural mountains.”

As the connection between the Vassar Haiti Project and Christ Episcopal Church deepens, so too does the connection between Sag Harbor and Chermaitre.

“The art sale at Sag Harbor has become folkloric in the Vassar Haiti Project tradition,” said Ms. Meade. “We are received as family when we come to Sag Harbor, taken care of and nurtured. The [Vassar] students work hard, but love the fact that we have a true partner who has helped us accomplish major things in Haiti over the years.”

The Christ Episcopal Church at 5 Hampton Street in Sag Harbor will host its fifth annual Haitian art sale August 12-14. Go to www.thehaitiproject.org for more information.