Organizations involved in the Aid to Artisans’ Bamboo Workshop 2 in Haiti
In June 2014, thirty Haitian artisans graduated from Aid to Artisans’ Bamboo Workshop 2, with skills in harvesting, cleaning and cutting bamboo, and producing fashionable hand painted bangles for the tourism industry.
This training event was part of the three-year “Improving Lives of Persons Living with HIV”, funded by the Big Lottery Fund, UK. It is executed by the Aids Alliance UK and the Haitian organization Promoteurs d’Objectif Zerosida (POZ), aimed at re-integrating PLHIVs into the mainstream of social and economic life. 
“ATA designers Lyn Nelson and Vonley Greaves have taught us how to turn a raw piece of bamboo into a beautiful bamboo bangle”, says Teline “Telou” Brutus. “We cut the bamboo, replant little shoots to prevent erosion and to keep the bamboo grove healthy. The bamboo is shaped by our hands. Then we look for inspiration for colors and designs from nature around us.”
Artisans formed a new enterprise “Bambou Chic d’Haiti”, with a business structure of five departments: a management committee, raw materials and inventory, production, quality control and sales. Bambou Chic d’Haiti marked the launch of the new business with an order for 500 bangles from the Pelican Beach Hotel, Turks and Caicos. Artisans also established business relationships with two stores at nearby cruiseship stop Labadee, and took an order for 50 bangles from Hotel Imperial in Cap Haitien.
Finished hand painted bangles in Haiti
