Peyi Lock 2022 - What is going on?

It’s been 3 weeks now since Haiti has been on lock again. Between the gang shootings, having no access to fuel, limited access to clean water to only name these, it is so hard to remain hopeful.

This lock is not the first but it seems to have a stronger impact on our team and on the nation as a whole. Rising up against the kidnappings, insecurity, violence and excessive prices, protestors have been in the streets. The fuel distribution station “Varreux” has been totally blocked following the announcement of gas price increase. While these protests are understandable as we are all tired of the corruption of the government and some private entities causing excess poverty, they are often accompanied by violence that have an even more negative impact on the economy. Streets are barricaded and roads are blocked, forcing people to stay in their homes, unable to sell or go to work, and kids can’t go to school. we can feel the weight of the mental toll this is having on the majority of the population. People are fleeing, some leaving the country to find security and for their kids to be able to go to school.

Nobody feels safe in their own homes anymore. Even behind our walls we can hear the close gunshots, in the news we hear more and more stories about gangs taking over people’s houses.

“It’s been 3 weeks now that we are on lock. It is not the first time that we are in this situation but this time it seems worse mainly because life was already so expensive. We are paralyzed to the point where schools and even hospitals are closed. We barely have any water, we do not have fuel. For us artisans, it has been hell. Most of us cannot reach work. There is no public transport. Everything is completely blocked. It’s been such a long time since we’ve been living these situations in Haiti. I can only hope that things will eventually get better Sigh“ Ismaella

For now, we cannot give our opinion on when things will “calm down”. It’s been such a rollercoaster and it is safe to say that we are ALL fed up. While we do our best to remain hopeful, we cannot stay silent on the horrible things happening on this land. As the government remains silent or seems to act like it is well, we will continue to use our voices to inform and educate on what is happening.

We cannot afford to completely crumble under this weight, as heavy as it is, because we know that our HDC family is counting on us. Many thanks to each of you who keep things going for us no matter what through your orders! You keep us working and give us motivation through the highs and extreme lows. We are so grateful for you.

In order to further support, please consider becoming part of our HDC Family

Men anpil, chay pa lou

A few thoughts on our dear Haïti

Hi friends! Many of you have been concerned about the situation in Haiti. Some reach out and send words of encouragement. We are so thankful for this continuous support and are forever grateful for the family that we’ve acquired through these years.

As much as we would love to write this to announce that things are now better and that all is well at our workshop, it is not yet the case. Right now, kidnappings and gang violence are creating an atmosphere of fear and terror. Countless families have been obligated to flee their homes because of non stop gunshots in the area. More privileged ones have been able to flee and start a new life elsewhere. Gas shortages, burning tires, inflation, and overall uncertainty about the future.

Our summer series is dedicated to bringing light in the midst of darkness this summer. This doesn’t mean that everything is always shiny and bright for us. We often experience discouragement. We often feel like things are moving backwards. We often feel exhausted to have to send you these messages with no real good news.

However, we also cannot afford to give up. No matter how difficult things are, it is not only about the brand and products. It is about families, about people who have been able to build their homes through the jobs your support is still creating. It is about the courage of our artisans who go to the workshop as soon as they can to keep the work going. It is about our responsibility to keep Haïti alive no matter how small our contribution is. It is also about the children watching us and being inspired by the way we face today’s challenges.

Life comes with ups and downs. In Haiti, we’ve experienced more downs lately but this wont keep us from doing the best we can with what we have. We also want to take this opportunity to thank you from the bottom of our heart for all of your support and the faith you put in us. Until we have better news, we will continue to provide quality Haitian made products while sharing the blessings of our day to day.