Arts and crafts

I used to dread art class – little talent and a slapdash approach to
painting, drawing and every medium in between. So it was revelatory to
find out I was not alone in my disdain for all things creative.
Except, for the Haitian women involved in TBT’s income generation
project, in stark contrast to my childhood indiscipline, it may have
been the difference between success and failure.

I observed as our project leader, a talented artist from Israel tried
to maintain focus in a class of twenty women who, in vain, were trying
to get to grips with the fundamentals of papier mashe, drawing and
painting. Their age range spanned four decades from a twenty-something
with two young children to a widow etched with the seams of an arduous
existence. The purpose of the class was to inculcate a basic sense of
the work ethic of the factory and teach them to bring their newly
acquired skills to a level of self-sufficiency. With all the willing
in the world, this proved to be an unequivocal struggle.

The group seem not to understand the basis for their training period
which was, firstly, to ensure that whatever was produced was not
bought merely in sympathy, secondly, the product should meet some
minimum standard, third, money was not instantaneous. Having craved
the hand-outs which world attention brought following the earthquake,
along with an addiction to aid, the imperative of the project was to
decouple Haiti’s women from donor pledges, provide a long-term revenue
stream, and, if successful, to ensure that the women's cooperative
contributed to the community.

At this early stage, I have no idea as to whether this will be a
success. If one of you out there would like to buy some Christmas
decorations or religious designs, I can get you a good discount.