Apparent Project

Welcome to The Apparent Project...One of my favorite places with some of my favorite people! The Apparent Project is located just a few blocks from us. If you have come to visit us you have probably been here. But you don't have to come to Haiti to visit because the AP can come to you! Check it out here!
http://www.apparentproject.org/jewelryparty.html
If you need to raise funds for your organization/missions trip, check out the bracelet fundraiser!! It has been a great success in helping people get the funds they need AND helping create jobs in Haiti!
If anyone would like to help us raise funds for our adoption cost while helping others in Haiti and raising awareness about Haiti please check this out!
Scroll down to almost the bottom of the page on the link above for more info! 

Haitian hands at work

Handmade Beads

Discarded Cereal Box

Apparent Project artisans make these beads out of cereal boxes that would have ended up in one of the many trash piles that collects on the sides of the roads and builds up the ravines in Haiti. 


Instead they are recycled into something beautiful that not only changes the landscape of Haiti but many Haitian lives. 

Ready for Remake

This is where all of our cereal and other boxes go to be recycled. It makes me so happy not to put them in the trash. It makes me even happier when I go to the Apparent Project (which I do often) and see what has become of our trash.

Once trash,
now treasure 

Beautiful jewelry is just one of the things that is created at the AP. They also employ and empower Haitian artisans who make things like handwoven baskets, children's clothing, crocheted handbags, hairbows, journal covers, metal art, and the purses that typically adorn my side. Here I am with one of the artisans that created my purse. Each purse or jewelry item includes a card with a picture and story of the artisan that created it. Such as...

Marie George
Marie George is a widow with three children. She is currently homeless and was working so hard in our new rag rug program hoping to save enough to rent a house and take care of her children. We saw her potential and started her in our seamstress training program. She is doing wonderfully and hopes to earn enough to rent a house. 

But the biggest reason I love the AP and the precious Clay family who started it is because they love the Haitian people, they get the Haitian people, and they understand the true needs here. They originally came to Haiti to help run an orphanage. They soon found (like many others we know that originally came here to do the same) that orphanages are not the best way to help the Haitian people. We are not against all orphanages necessarily but are saddened by their existence and do not believe that more children who are NOT orphans going to orphanages is a good way to help in Haiti. The Clay family has two Haitian adopted children like we do. We believe strongly in adoption. We believe that caring for orphans and the poor is a very good thing. But we also believe that families staying together is a very good thing too. This is why I helped start KOFAEL (update on that coming soon)...to create jobs that will help alleviate poverty and help Haitian families stay together. 

Alleviate. al·le·vi·ate/əˈlēvēˌāt/ 

Verb: Make (suffering, deficiency, or a problem) less severe. 

This brings to mind a blog another friend in Haiti wrote recently on this subject. We can honestly say that in our year spent in Haiti we are witness to the truths talked about here. We applaud, encourage, and support others like the Apparent Project that are doing something different and beautiful to change the status quo. We especially love and affirm their mission and pray that many others will affirm these things stated in Our mission: Keeping Families Together