“Women make up half the world’s population and yet represent a staggering 70% of the world’s poor. We live in a world in which women living in poverty face gross inequalities and injustice from birth to death. From poor education to poor nutrition to vulnerable and low pay employment, the sequence of discrimination that a woman may suffer during her entire life is unacceptable but all too common.”  -The Global Poverty Project

“Studies have indicated that when women hold assets or gain income, the money is more likely to be spent on nutrition, medicine, and housing, and consequently their children are healthier.  For every dollar a woman earns, she invests 80 cents in her family. Men, on the other hand, invest around 30 cents and are more likely to squander money on alcohol and other vices.” – halftheskymovement.org

Much has been written about fighting poverty through empowering and investing in women.  When a woman is able to earn a living, she can and most likely will change everything for her family.  What can we do to help?

Through Roberta’s work with the Dorcas Sewing Ladies in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, we have a unique opportunity to play a small part in directly empowering women who live in poverty.  These ladies were taught to sew, have received donations of fabrics and machines, and now they need a market so that they can stand on their own as their business grows.  While they do sell some of their bags in Haiti, it makes good business sense to create a market for their goods here where we have such an overwhelmingly large amount of disposable income.  They have been willing to learn a trade and put in the hard work to create bags and skirts, and we have the easy job of buying the beautiful, hand crafted goods.  They are not asking for a hand out, they are asking for an opportunity to make a living.

Almost every woman carries a bag of some kind at some point.  It may be a purse or diaper bag or book bag or a teacher bag or a travel bag.  We get to choose when we purchase that bag.  Do we choose to buy a cheap one that might have cost some woman around the world her freedom because she is subjected to what is essentially slave labor in a sweatshop? Or do we choose a bag that will actually give life to a woman and her family somewhere in the world?

The money that you spend on your next bag can really mean the difference between death and life.  Does $20 seem like it has the power to give life or take it away? When you purchase a $20 bag from the Dorcas Sewing Ladies of Haiti, your $20 is giving a life, a livelihood, to real women. They will use that money to invest in their business, to send their children to school, to get food and medicine, and to give back to their congregations in Haiti. If you want to be a part of changing the world and helping end the cycles of poverty, let your dollars do the talking next time you make any purchase.  Find out where your goods come from, and who made them.  If you want to make a difference and change the world, shop with a purpose, and empower women to change their own world.

*If you would like more information about buying a bag from the Dorcas Sewing Ladies, please email haitimissions@esteschurch.com  Bags are managed and sold in Henderson, TN, but we can ship to you!

Large totes ($20) are reversible with a print fabric on the inside. Small bags ($7) come in lots of prints.

If you missed the last post about the shipping container that is going to Haiti this fall, you can read about it here.

For those of you who have asked about how you can help with items for the shipping container, here’s a great idea: You can shop online and have your items shipped directly to Healing Hands International.  Many websites offer free shipping on larger or heavier items (Amazon.com, Walmart.com, etc), so you can find a great deal and send things directly to the place where they will be loaded on the container.

When filling out shipping information make sure to include Roberta’s name so that Healing Hands will know what to do with your package when it shows up.

Roberta Edwards

c/o Healing Hands International

455 McNally Drive • Nashville, Tennessee 37211

If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to email us – haitimissions@esteschurch.com

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The list for the shipping container is copied below.

Needs:

• Powdered Milk (150 cases)
• Baby Formula
• Hand Sanitizer
• Sanitary napkins
• Deodorant (men and women)
• Rubbing alcohol and peroxide
• Shampoo and conditioner (moisturizing types)
• Toothpaste and toothbrushes
• Clorox or Lysol wipes
• Mosquito spray (with DEET)
• Canned meats:  tuna, mackerel, salmon, pork, ham, viennas, spam, chicken
• Canned fruit:  fruit cocktail, peaches, pears, pineapple, mandarin oranges, apple sauce, tropical fruit, apple and cherry pie filling
• Canned vegetables: corn, tomato paste, tomato sauce, tomato crushed, tomato whole, green beans, lima beans, mixed vegetables, peas
• Commercial rabbit food
• Chicken food for laying hens
• food for the security guard forces ( 50lb bags of dog food)
• 6 foot white board for the school of preaching
• sewing material: remnants and bolts welcome.  Cotton, washable and bright colors. (to support the Dorcas ladies of Santo)
• square fold up card tables or 4 foot rectangular small table (4)
• Kitty litter for our rodent exterminating crew
• Computer printing paper (1 box)
• 2 – 12 foot stepladders
• heavy duty extension cords  (6)
• oscillating and box fans
• Gas stove for the guesthouse (propane gas connectors)