Trades of Hope in Haiti

In 2007, a woman named Shelley Clay went to Haiti to adopt a little girl. When she and her husband arrived, they discovered that the child’s parents were living and still wanted her, but they simply could not afford to care for her. She was a relinquished child. As Shelley investigated further, she found that every child in the orphanage was in the same situation – their parents were so desperate that t...hey felt their only choice was to give their babies to an orphanage so they could have a chance.

Shelley and her family moved to Haiti and started a group called the Apparent Project. In 2007, she started with 4 women, teaching them to make jewelry and sell it so they could afford to keep their families intact. Shelley now has more than 200 employees. Trades of Hope was their first wholesale partner, and we continue to be a huge part of the change for Haitians and the crisis of relinquished children. All of the Haiti Signature products are made by this group, which is nicknamed the “Unorphanage.”
The Haiti jewelry shown here is made of recycled cereal boxes! Half of the beads are clay, half are recycled cereal boxes made into beads.
Watch this video from Shelley at the Apparent Project (two of our founders make an appearance at the end!): www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCctTpYedpw  For more information or videos, see Sara's Trades of Hope