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Traveling to Haiti: Fulfilling My Promise to Return #Bloggers4Haiti

May 23, 2013 By Leticia

Traveling to Haiti- A Return Trip #Bloggers4Haiti

Middle photo courtesy of Kelly Tirman

It’s been over a year since I first traveled to Haiti to visit artisans who create sustainable income through handcrafted works of art and I’m excited to return tomorrow and witness how economic development programs put in place after the 2010 earthquake continue to thrive while also lending a hand in teaching technology to Haitian businesswomen and artists.

Last January I embarked a great adventure, traveling to Haiti out of sheer curiosity with no other purpose than learning about a country that I might not visit otherwise. What I found was a country making progress towards recovery thanks to the spirits of individual Haitians dedicated to improving their lives and those of their family members. And I admit, I fell in love.

It’s hard to not love a place where there is true beauty beyond the rubble and a desire to learn unlike any I witnessed during my former career as a teacher. The Haitian artists we met with yearn to improve their lives through employment. They see learning as empowerment and their incredible entrepreneurial spirit deeply affected my soul with a single question, “How can we get a computer to do what you do?”

Amazing Haitians #Bloggers4Haiti

With this single question posed by Dam Dam, a lightbulb went off inside my head. Here was a group who wanted to read our blogs, comment on them in Creole, Tweet with us, and share their beautiful art and stories through their Facebook page. Clustered around the screen of a netbook, I knew that I could help by returning to provide technology and social media assistance.

Drawing on my background of designing and delivering professional technology development, managing federal education grants, teaching, and collaborating, we talked about how to reach out for funding in order to go back to provide much needed hardware and training. It was also time to turn the tables on the technology companies that I’ve gotten to know over the past five years by pitching them back with a request to get involved in our efforts.

Haitian Handwork #Bloggers4Haiti

With the help of friend, former teacher, and fellow blogger and #Bloggers4Haiti traveler, Elena Sonnino and I wrote a narrative to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund outlining a plan for how we would use funds to provide sustainable technology professional development to Haitians. While we waited to hear about funding, a chance meeting with Microsoft allowed to me share what we were working on and secure a commitment of laptops. And finally, when we were starting to lose hope, almost a year later we received word that the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund would partially fund our project.

It’s exciting to know that a tiny seed of an idea planted by Dam Dam has grown into a return trip to Haiti where I have the opportunity to continue working with The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, Macy’s Heart of Haiti, and Everywhere to provide sustainable technology training. I am also incredibly appreciative of the generous donation by of Windows laptops, Office Home and Business 2010, and laptop sleeves from Microsoft.

After securing funds, technology, and software, my next task was to think about how to deliver the most effective training possible using the tools we have. Knowing the technology the artisans have, what they’re used to, and a baseline level of knowledge is important to consider along with the infrastructure related challenges of consistent access to electricity and limited access to the internet.

Artisan Business Network #Bloggers4Haiti

I’ve gotten to know Windows 8 and Office Home Premium through my partnerships with Microsoft but they aren’t practical choices for Haitians. I love the visual appearance of the tiles and charms of Windows 8 but the operating system isn’t one that the artists are familiar with so we determined it would be more effective for them to continue using a Windows 7. Similarly, Office 365 is powerful cloud-based collaboration tool however, the lack of wifi and internet access makes this an impractical choice in Haiti since Dam Dam told us that they have to walk to an internet cafe to go online. Thankfully the Microsoft Windows Champions (#WindowsChampions) and Microsoft Office 365 teams understood these constraints and were still willing to provide the necessary hardware and software to ensure that our training could move forward with the most beneficial technology for the artists.

So tomorrow is the day I leave for another Haitian adventure to feed my soul. I’m packing more technology than clothes with the plan to come home with an emptier suitcase but a fuller heart. I hope that the internet at our hotels is as awesome as it was last year and I’ll be able to post a recap at the end of each day so you can follow along with my travels and those of fellow #Bloggers4Haiti members.

Here is the list of attendees to follow over the next week as you follow our #Bloggers4Haiti hashtag:

  • Kelly Tirman, KellyTirman.com  @KellyTirman
  • Leticia Barr, TechSavvyMama.com @TechSavvyMama
  • Nadia Jones, JusticeJonesie.com @JusticeJonesie
  • Danica Kombol of Everywhere @DanicaKombol
  • Kelly Heisler of Everywhere @KellyHeislerATL
  • Willa Shalit of Fair Winds Trading and Maiden Nation @WillaShalit
  • Johnica Reed @Johnica
  • Swoan Parker @SwoanParker
  • Deana Jirak @DeanaJirak
  • Lynn Douglass @LynnDouglass2
  • Macy’s Heart of Haiti @HeartofHaiti
  • Everywhere @beEverywhere

Haitian businesses we’ll be visiting and links so you can learn more about them:

  • The Artisan Business Network  (ABN), Facebook page
  • Dam Dam paper mache artists on Facebook, Pinterest page
  • OFEDA handmade greeting cards
  • JP Haitian Relief Organization (J/P HRO)
  • Einstein Workshop – wood work collection featured on Donna Karan’s Urban Zen, Facebook page
  • Croix des Bouquets metal work featured on West Elm and Urban Zen

To learn more about last  year’s trip, here are my past posts written about Haiti:

  • Haiti: 2 Years After the Quake 
  • Sustainable Income Through Art
  • Dam Dam Haiti- #Bloggers 4 Haiti Introduce Technology
  • Hearts from Haiti
  • Experience Haiti Through Our Eyes: #Bloggers4Haiti via Video
  • Haiti on My Mind: Returning to Teach Technology to Women
  • Returning to Haiti to Provide Sustainable Technology Training
  • Remembering Haiti by Teaching Others

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I received grant money from the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund (CBHF) and a scholarship from Everywhere to help defray the cost of this trip however, all additional expenses are personally paid for. Everywhere also provided a scholarship for last year’s trip but again, all extra costs were paid for out of pocket. I have never been required to share any part of my travels to Haiti but the stories and images are so compelling that it’s hard not to. Amazon affiliate links included in this post.

Related

Filed Under: Causes Tagged With: #Bloggers4Haiti, Artisan Business Network, beEverywhere, Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, Croix des Bouquets, Dam Dam, Haiti, Macy's Heart of Haiti

Previous Post: « Disney’s Be Our Guest Restaurant Experiments with Online Reservations and Ordering to Minimize Wait Times
Next Post: A View of Port au Prince »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Caroline Murphy says

    May 23, 2013 at 11:24 am

    Wishing you safe travels!!!

    My favorite line in this piece… “…the plan to come home with an emptier suitcase but a fuller heart.”
    How beautiful! I am certain your heart will be overflowing!

    XOXO

  2. Elena says

    May 23, 2013 at 12:39 pm

    Beautiful and amazing work that you will be doing!!!

  3. tifi says

    May 23, 2013 at 3:19 pm

    Hey there tech mama, and the other bloggers taking part in #bloggers4Haiti…I so look forward to reading your thoughts regarding your second trip! That photo of Jacmel is simply stunning!

  4. MORO BARUK says

    May 26, 2013 at 4:23 pm

    I am so happy to have met you Leticia, you and all the other bloggers. I hope the memory of your trip to Jacmel will last yiou a lifetime. I won’t forget you guys either.
    Moro

  5. Jessica says

    June 4, 2013 at 8:15 pm

    Incredible — filled with awe and love for your hard work!!

  6. Dina Simon says

    November 6, 2013 at 10:52 pm

    I love the hard work that you are doing. Keep it up!

Trackbacks

  1. Bloggers4Haiti Provides Hands on Technology and Social Media Training for Artisans | Tech Savvy Mama says:
    May 30, 2013 at 11:23 am

    […] Dam makes paper maché and jewelry out of flattened bottle caps and were our inspiration for our return trip but needed assistance setting up a new Gmail and Facebook […]

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DC area blogger & middle school computer science teacher focused on edu, family tech & teens. ❤s= 🚀 #STEM 🏃 #StJudeHeroes #legacyteamnuun 🏝 #Haiti

Leticia Barr
Still on that half marathon high! 🎉Mondays are Still on that half marathon high! 🎉Mondays are always better when you have new race bling to start your week! 🏅 I hope the start of your week goes well too! 💕
#medalmonday #stjudeheroes #runwithstjude #memphis #stjudememphismarathon
✅ = Half marathon #6 🎉 Yesterday was a gorgeo ✅ = Half marathon #6 🎉
Yesterday was a gorgeous day in Memphis for a race! The weather was absolutely perfect and my favorite part was running through the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital campus to soak it all in at mile 10. 🏃🏻‍♀️ Along the route were patients, former patients, and their families who are so incredibly grateful for the support of Heroes like me who fundraise, train, and run to ensure that no child dies in the dawn of life. 💕 I never go into any race with expectations. All I want to do is start the race having met my fundraising goal, have fun on the course, and cross the finish line.🏅So thank you for helping me accomplish those 3 goals. 🎉 This weekend St. Jude Heroes raised $14 million dollars to help St. Jude end childhood cancer. The $5,100 you helped me raise this year is part of that and I could not be more grateful! Thank you for allowing me to do what I do and run to support St. Jude. ❤️ I'm already looking forward to running in Memphis again next year! Who wants to join me? I’ll fundraise if you want to run with me! I’d be thrilled to be your race buddy if you want to run a 5K or 10K and promise to be the best cheerleader ever! 🙂 #stjudeheroes #runwithstjude #stjude #stjuderun #memphis
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to run If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to run St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend, here’s a look at the experience! 🏃🏻‍♀️My favorite part is always running through the campus of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital! ❤️Today I saw patients and their families lining the race course through campus cheering their hearts out for us Heroes. It was such a good reminder of why I choose to run this weekend year after year! 🥰 #stjudeheroes #runwithstjude #stjudechildrensresearchhospital #memphis #halfmarathon
✅= $5,000 fundraising goal met! 🎉🎉🎉WE 👏🏼 DID 👏🏼IT! 🎉🎉🎉 
It is the best feeling in the world going into tomorrow’s race having bypassed my original fundraising goal by an additional $1,000 and knowing how many of you are cheering for me! ❤️Half marathon #6, I’m coming for you! 🏃🏻‍♀️💪🏼🏅And yes, I had to go back for another photo just like yesterday’s but with my updated fundraising total! 😍 #stjudeheroes #runwithstjude #stjude #memphis #stjudememphismarathon
🎉$4,875 🎉During my flight, my seat mate aske 🎉$4,875 🎉During my flight, my seat mate asked me if I worked for St. Jude after noticing St. Jude Heroes embroidered on my jacket. When I told her I was in town for St. Jude Memphis Marathon and I ran to raise money, she opened her purse and dug around for the cash she had. 💵 She was very familiar with St. Jude’s mission from her involvement in her college sorority and is a regular donor. Even though she had just donated, she handed me a bunch of bills and wished me luck with my race 🏃🏻‍♀️I’ll be adding her gift to the total I had when I picked up my race bib. It was such a thrill to pick up my bib to see you’ve helped me surpass my original goal of $4,000 and to be so close to my new $5,000 goal! ❤️ #stjudeheroes #stjuderun #runforstjude #halfmarathoner #nuunambassador
Put on my running shoes And I boarded the plane To Put on my running shoes
And I boarded the plane
Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues
In the middle of the pouring rain 🎶  It is SO good to be back in Memphis! ❤️ Every year I think this might be my last race but the minute I get off the plane and start walking through the airport, I remember my why. My why becomes more apparent as I drive into downtown and past the @stjude campus where children and their families stay during their treatment for life threatening childhood illnesses which is free thanks to donors like you who ensure they never have to pay for treatment, housing, food, or travel. ✈️ At St. Jude kids get the best care, care that I could only hope for if my kids were to ever get sick. And that is my why. 🩺 On the St. Jude campus there are moms just like me who face the unimaginable every single day. I run for them so they can focus on helping their child live. ❤️‍🩹 I know if I was a mom of a patient, there would be an army of Heroes who would fundraise, train, and run for me and my sick child. I also run to give them hope which is something so many families have thanks to donors like you. St. Jude leads the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. When this is your why, it’s hard to stop which is why I just keep going. ❤️#stjudeheroes #runforstjude #memphis #whyirun #nuunambassador
It’s almost St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend! ❤️ This will be my 6th half marathon & 9th race benefiting @stjude kids and families. 🏃🏻‍♀️As a race veteran, you’d think my goal would be to improve my time but honestly, my goals are to raise money as much money as possible and to run for those who can’t. If you haven’t already donated but would like to, see the St. Jude link in my bio to make a tax deductible donation of any amount. 🙏🏻 I’m so so close to $5,000 and with your help, I know I’ll get there! Thanks in advance for any amount you can give and get ready for lots of race related posts and stories over the next few days! Sorry not sorry! 🏃‍♀️❤️🏃‍♀️
#stjudeheroes #stjudemarathon #runforstjude #stjudememphismarathon #stjuderun #stjude
How do you teach computer science concepts like th How do you teach computer science concepts like the cloud? 💻Through hands-on, interactive learning experiences like the ones offered for free at @AmazonWebServices Skills Center in Arlington, Virginia. 🏢 AWS Skills Centers provides free, fun ways to learn more about the cloud and job opportunities. Visit the link in my bio for more information and to plan your visit to the Skills Center! 🚘AD #computerscience #cloudcomputing #STEM #amazonwebservices #awsskillscenter
Thankful for a week filled with family, food, outd Thankful for a week filled with family, food, outdoor fun & being photobombed by my favorite girl. 💕 #thanksgiving #family #optoutside
Find a friend who will join you at OrangeTheory in Find a friend who will join you at OrangeTheory in the morning, celebrate the workout with lunch, and take ridiculous selfies with you and @theholdernessfamily after more bubbles and bites. Thank you @lisatasch for being that friend! I adore you! 🧡💪🏼🥂And huge thanks to @westfieldmontgomery for inviting use to meet Kim and Penn! They’re just as wonderful as you’d imagine them to be! 🎄#friends #holidays #westfieldmontgomery #moco #mocomd
Every day when their boy leaves for school, these Every day when their boy leaves for school, these two follow me upstairs and jump on his bed. 🛏️ One watches the driveway from the window and the other stares out the door, ready to alert the other if he comes returns. It’s the sweetest thing! 🐾 I reassure them he’ll be back later but I’m not quite sure what this pair is going to do next year when he heads off to college. I guess we’ll pass the days until the kiddos come home with long dog walks and console ourselves with treats. 💔  #chocolatelab #yellowlab #labrador #puppylove #rescuedog #labrescue #momlife
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