Women’s Initiative

  The Women’s Initiative is dedicated to providing the women of Chermaitre the resources and support necessary to accomplish their goals within their community and a means for them to have financial security through developing marketable skills.

 Femmes de Chermaitre

Thirty-five energetic and self-starting women of Chermaitre came together to form a cooperative to create a space of solidarity, develop their business-related skills, and better their livelihoods. The Women’s Initiative grew out of focus group discussions held with the women of Chermaitre during March 2012 and 2013. There, they shared their life stories of economic and personal struggles and how they raised their families with incredible strength.

Planned projects include setting up a cooperative structure led and organized by the women where they have opportunities to learn business-related skills in order to supplement their income.

 Developing the Cooperative

Since their formation, the women in the cooperative have been growing coffee, producing peanut butter, as well as making fabrics, handcrafts and jewelry for sale in regional and U.S. markets. VHP has been successfully selling their richly aromatic organic coffee, hand-sewn napkins, artfully beaded earrings, and face masks. We are very heartened by the results so far. They have asked us for our support in kickstarting their operations and purchasing more supplies and equipment so that Femmes de Chermaitre can get up and running on a larger scale!

The full impact of a successful women’s cooperative is immeasurably large and interconnected with all aspects of life in Chermaitre. We are certain that their growth will reverberate through the entire community: they will be able to afford and grow more food for their families, send their children to school, and realize their goals of sustainable, thriving livelihoods.

 

View an archived crowdfunding campaign video that provides an overview of the Women’s Cooperative and an introduction to some of our women partners

 
 
 

“WOMEN ARE THE BACKBONE OF LIFE…WOMEN ARE EVERYTHING

— TOUSSAINT VINA

Femme de Chermaitre Secretary

 Current Projects & Goals

  • Adult Education

    The Women’s Committee, in collaboration with Femmes de Chermaitre, plans to implement an adult education program in the village as a powerful engine for the women’s self-empowerment through their acquisition of literacy and business skills. The knowledge women gain can in turn be imparted through future generations and engender a sustainable form of educational enrichment and professional development for women, as well as for men in Chermaitre. The Women’s Initiative on campus, in concert with the Women’s Community Board, is planning fundraising initiatives to cover expenses for hiring teachers, and purchasing textbooks to realize math and literacy classes for the village’s adults.

    Perspective: The Vassar Haiti Project works with a Haitian partner who ensures that programs will be implemented. VHP started its support of the village in 2001 when a one-room bare earthed school was built. In 2006, a multi-classroom concrete school was built and since then, thousands of children have been educated in primary schooling. But the adults of the village also asked for the possibility for them to learn. The women want to gain literacy skills, be able to sign their signatures, as well as learn math so they can start small businesses in order to further support themselves and their families.

  • Sewing Machines

    The Vassar Haiti Project hopes to provide sewing machines to the women's cooperative so they can expand the products they produce and grow their business. The ultimate goals for the women are to have a thriving business completely separate from VHP.

  • Face Masks

    This year, as the world has adapted to Covid-19, so have the Women’s Committee in the U.S. and Femmes de Chermaitre, who have put their heads together to creatively supplement their product lines with an item in high demand: face masks. Through this collaboration, the student Women’s Committee and the Women’s Community Board have shipped materials to Haiti where the Women’s Cooperative sewed and assembled masks with a variety of colors and designs. These masks have been sold successfully on the VHP website.