Author Archives: heka

We had just inventoried the newest batch of 600+ Haitian baskets when the Woolsey Fire one week later burned our houses and all the baskets on Nov 9 2018. Based on the inventory we knew exactly how many baskets each of our 34 women had made. We used our insurance to pay our women inContinue reading “Things do not always go as planned.”

It’s hard to explain what we do and why we do it.  Here’s a book Natalie created about Haiti and the baskets. It’s really simple. There are three parties in this. (1) ProjectMedishare.org mostly selects the women we deal with. (2) We teach the women how to do handcraft items we think are sellable inContinue reading “Here’s what we do. OurZamni book.”

A few days ago we received a new batch of baskets from Haiti. Our women have created some 400 new baskets -our initial impression is that our women are flying on their own. They are creating much better quality baskets, both in terms of design and looks but also in terms of craftmanship. Here isContinue reading “New better baskets from Haiti”

If you have a no electricity you have no light and you can’t even charge your cell phone. So maybe this makes sense. They got solar charged lanterns with built-in USB ports to charge your cell phone and a built-in radio. Maybe not. This is not a gift or donation -all the women made basketsContinue reading “Light, radio and a cell phone charger!”

We made the Malibu Times on Jan 14 2017!!!    Click here (opens in a new tab)  

(Spoiler: at the end of this post is a link to a few pictures showing what Hurricane Matthew did in Port-a-Piment) Jan 10 2017. We have now two baskets on Etsy.com here We hope to add more baskets dolls in a few days Natalie and I visited Haiti in June 2016. Our interpreter Butler Benoit hadContinue reading “Hurricane Matthew in Oct 4 2016”

Natalie and I went to the YMCA in Tujunga (Los Angeles) to talk about our Zanmi Project. We had some 25 people in the audience listening to Natalie talking about what we do. It was just a small informal event where Natalie’s slide presentation was tested for the first time with a live audience. TheContinue reading “Tujunga event Jan 25 2016”

Thanks again to Malibu High School students who helped us organize the event with signs, food and drinks and a huge thank you to all who came  and support our Haitian Zanmi Project fundraising event! And a huge thank you to all of you who purchased the women’s Zanmis and hand made baskets. Your generousContinue reading “Sunday’s Zanmi event was good.”

A pleasant relaxed Sunday morning and afternoon (10AM to 4PM) with Haitian refreshments, music and authentic Haitians folk art dolls and baskets  -with beautiful Pacific Ocean views. Presented by Malibu High School’s Zanmi Club’s students and teacher Jennifer Gonzalez who have been essential in making the Zanmi Project such a success in Haiti. A Day forContinue reading “Haitian Zanmi Event in Malibu. Sun Nov 8 2015, 10AM – 4PM”

Work in progress . This summer we were able to purchase a stove for every woman in our project so they no longer have to cook over charcoal. Now we are raising money to build water proof roofs for them before the next rainy season. Because Zanmi means ‘friend’ in Haitian Creole, we call theContinue reading “Zanmi doll project.”