Ariana’s Story – Is a calling to all nonbelievers to truly believe again and let the universe play its course in the things we need to achieve in our lifetime. How could a child of 8 years of age be thinking about Haiti and building an orphanage? Was that her calling? Well, I believe it was her calling and she made it happened along with the support of her parents.

The orphanage that her parents run with her in Haiti, is called Maison Lumiere (the Lighthouse), which cares for approximately 47 girls and boys ranging from age 4 to teens. They have a school, a medical clinic, security, and a transition house (similar to a trade school) for their children. The transition house is for the older children, and they are taught the “savoir vivre” like sewing, woodworking and more. My question is, what happens to those teens if they want a higher education? Could perhaps Maison Lumiere Orphanage fund their education?

What is more appealing is that her parents have adopted 2 more children from Haiti and they made the ultimate sacrifice in leaving their comfort zone in the U.S. to reside in Haiti to achieve Ariana’s dream. IT TAKES COURAGE AND FAITH. How many of us sometimes are afraid to travel overseas or do the ultimate change in our lives just because …………

Oprah had fun chatting with the girls and Ariana’s parents. She adamantly shared with the girls that education is freedom and was proud to give a brief introduction to her school in Africa. The issue of not having access to emergency rooms in Haiti was a detriment to our people, and Oprah stated that most took that system for granted in the U.S.

Ariana’s organization in Haiti is registered as “Child Hope International” and they mostly support their needs through donations and sponsors. In the midst of her conversation with Oprah, she stated that Haitian girls tend to settle for less and seem not to have any dreams. Quite a bold statement, yet one I would firmly disagree with. Most of the Haitian girls I’ve talked to in Haiti have dreams – bigger than their parents’ dreams. What happens is, if they cannot access and/or have the means to achieve those dreams, they reluctantly settle for less. And the settling only happens when they feel pressured by people not giving them a chance, not believing in their vision, or just simply not believing in their potential. However, if given the opportunity, the financial means, and the support, they would in a heartbeat, further their education and shoot for the stars.

Interested in learning more about Ariana, the visionary and about her organization and orphanage, click on the following links:

Ariana’s dream: http://www.easyreadernews.com/1465/arianas-dream/
Website: http://www.childhope.org/work/orphanage/orphanage.html
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/childhope
Twitter: @childhopeintl

In summary:

Lesson to be learned: Whatever your vision, it is important to find support and stay grounded in your beliefs. Patience and resilience can go a long way. Parents ought to believe and support their children’s endeavors.

What I would do: Take a pen and start writing down your vision and desires for humanity and for yourself. Bring along your children, your parents and friends so they can partake in the same exercise for themselves as well.

Magalie Dresse’s Story – Is inspiring and reflects determination and hope. Magalie, a fierce, intelligent Haitian woman is the proud owner of Caribbean Craft located in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She is a business woman with lots of accolades and extraordinary passion for her people in Haiti. Magalie was named the Digicel Entrepreneur of the year 2010. You can see her resilience and devotion to provide employment, to teach her people and better the economy in Haiti, as the products made by her company are being recognized overseas and sold in stores such as Anthropologie and West Elm. I love her brilliant idea of incorporating a meal service for her employees (as they say no food, no work & no energy!)

After her company was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake, Magalie and her painter husband Joel Dresse did not give up on themselves and their employees. The company is now thriving with about 349 employees ranging from painter, crafter and sculptor. Their “papier maché” products are now a hot commodity. I also admired that training in Caribbean Craft is shared among the employees. For instance, her husband Joel teaches and trains employees on the art of painting and those who master the skill train the new comers. Education and knowledge are passed along, and that’s the way it should be in all the things we do in life.

Her company offers health care, no interest loans to the employees. Oprah called her: “the New Star in Haiti” and truly admired the work she is achieving in Haiti. As you know, Oprah is all about women empowerment, her actions showed both respect and admiration for Magalie Dresse, so much so that when Oprah congratulated her and hugged her, the gesture brought tears to Magalie’s eyes. I would say that running a balanced, profitable company in Haiti with employee benefits while keeping a good reputation is not easy. It demands lots of hustling and love for what you do. I was overjoyed to see Oprah in awe of our Haitian artists and our Haitian arts while touring her company.

Want to know more about Magalie, the entrepreneur, the business woman and about her company, click on the following links:

For information on Caribbean Craft: http://www.facebook.com/Magalie-Noel-Dresse/
Haitian crafts at West Elm: http://blog.westelm.com/2011/11/23/papier-mache/

In summary:

Lesson to be learned: Take action! Overcome your challenges and aim for better things. Find that entrepreneurial spirit inside of you, and let it out. Success comes with hard work and dedication.

What I would do: If you have a vision and want to open a company in Haiti, I would suggest that you research the field, network with those in the field, collaborate with those who can be a mentor to you and certainly define the why, the how and the for whom?

Donna Karan’s Story – A renowned fashion designer who falls head over heels in love with Haiti. I found her interview with Oprah to be genuine but I still question her involvement in the intricate issues of Haiti. Nevertheless, I command her for taking a leap of faith and giving a platform to our Haitian designs overseas. According to Donna, she often travels to Haiti for inspiration and also works with various Haitian artists in terms of developing a production line for their designs. Basically, she is teaching them about customization so the products can be a demand in the market share. This is a great initiative by her, and I truly hope our artists/ designers are being taught in such a way that they can take the reins of her teaching to open their own businesses and make a production line on their own. I believe that they need to know about production line for their own endeavors, and become self sufficient in the long run. I am also aware that there other Haitian designers who give their services free of charge, and travel to Haiti to teach their people, but are silent about their work. The “celebrity” label of Donna Karan, has nonetheless helped brand our artistry with foreigners.

The interview with Oprah took place in the Caribbean Craft showroom in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and I felt it was a perfect setting since the topic was about art and crafts. Oprah even urged her cameramen to purchase some of the Haitian beads for their loved ones. This was exhilarating to me as I have always been proud of the richness of our Haitian culture, and was glad to see us finally getting the recognition for our hard work.

Donna’s love for new artistic ideas channels through her eyes and her conversation. Donna has come a long way as she is very reputable in the fashion industry and well respected by her peers. She stated that philanthropy and commerce are interconnected and that she wants collaboration from others to tackle hotels, medical systems and education in Haiti. This is an aggressive plan and I love it! Why do I love it? Because she is entitled to see a bigger picture from what she originally traveled to Haiti. I wholeheartedly agreed with Donna’s statement on philanthropy and commerce. From my perspective, philanthropy in itself has no life and no reward if it is not being used to help others to sustain themselves financially and recruit people for employment. Those 2 giant words bring on collaboration, partnership, education and advancement for both the owner and the consumer.

Another striking moment is that I was puzzled that both Oprah and Donna were reluctant to use their birth names as their companies’ names. Donna, the humble woman and widow of 11 years simply said “I just wanted the focus to be on the world and not on me and that is why I added NY to the DKNY”. With her major fashion label DKNY under her belt, she started an organization named Urban Zen focusing on projects in Haiti. I would say that her organization is about connecting, reaching out and making a difference in people’s lives in an organic way. Donna even mentioned that she’s thinking of bringing yoga to Haiti. That waits to be seen……………

For more information about Donna Karan, the designer, the philanthropist, and her work in Haiti, click on the following links:

Fashion Label website: http://www.donnakaran.com/
Organization: http://www.urbanzen.org/

In summary:

Lesson to be learned: Take action! To quote Donna Karan in her interview, “Every day is a lesson, a teaching experience”. It is a powerful statement! I will add that we can learn new things from anyone whether it be a housekeeper, a doorman, a colleague, a sibling, a child, a parent, a stranger, a homeless person or anyone that has a lower status or education than we have.

What I would do: Share your artistic acumen with others and Haiti. Open your heart to new teachings and experiences. Teach our people, because education is a lifetime reward.

Lastly, Oprah’s documentary ended with the story of a resilient, hopeful Haitian mother of 4 children who lost her husband in the earthquake. This 26 year old young woman whose aspiration is to become a hairdresser, is still full of energy, while caring for her children, and searching for employment. To me, her smile was a sign of hope and determination. Despite her loss, she is finding the strength through prayers for a better tomorrow. I was expecting to see a completely distraught woman but it was not the case at all. Nevertheless, just because her raw emotions were not disclosed in her attitude, I cannot make judgments that she is not in need of help emotionally and psychologically.

In summary:

Lesson to be learned: Whatever challenges we face in our daily lives, there is a person out there in worst condition than we are. And, if that person can still have a positive attitude towards life, so can we. We ought to find the strength within us to recoup and still be hopeful.

What I would do: When you hear a sad story, give some thoughts to the people affected and show more compassion. In the midst of an affliction, believe that you are not alone. Whether you pray or meditate, do seek help if needed, and reach out to those who support you. Make a plan of action to better your life as a whole and never lose hope.