Program teaches lucrative leatherwork and crafts to women in Haiti’s Plaine du Nord

CAP-HAÏTIEN — Creativity, a team that won We Women Org’s community project competition, is preparing to launch a skills-training program for disadvantaged women in rural Plaine du Nord communities. The project will teach women, particularly in Balan—a neglected neighborhood, how to make leather sandals, handmade bags, detergents, candles, and other high-demand clothing products. 

“There is a strong demand for items like leather sandals, detergent, and candles in the Northern Department,” said Sarah-Djena Joachim, a member of Creativity. 

“However, women in rural areas often don’t have access to training in these crafts, unlike those in downtown Cap-Haïtien.”

Joachim and her team members, Danielle Colinoveca Marcellus and Lautdz Guirlie Robillard, are currently in the planning stages of the project, set to take place in Plaine du Nord, about nine miles south of Cap-Haïtien. The first training session will last five days and host at least 10 women aged 25 to 35. The group has yet to choose the upcoming participants.

The group’s project idea won the Young Model Citizen competition, which began in June. The winners were announced on Sept. 15. They received a prize of 250,000 gourdes or about $1,900, which is earmarked exclusively for the project, along with coaching support to assist them in implementation. 

Renée Manigat, coordinator of We Women Org, shared that 17 teams from across the northern region—including Limonade, Milot, and Cap-Haïtien—submitted ideas, with three judges selecting Creativity as the winning team.

“A lot of women in our society want to take action but need more encouragement to take on leadership roles,” Manigat said. “If we had more funding, we would have supported all the ideas submitted.”

Founded in 2019 and based in Cap-Haïtien, We Women Org is a nonprofit organization that focuses on education, culture, gender equality, and literature. In addition to the competition project, the organization has offered leadership and finance workshops for recent college graduates.

 We Women Org also holds the Fam’Art Festival each year to showcase women’s artwork, with the next edition scheduled for March 8, 2025.

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