Vassar Haiti Project

Vassar Haiti’s Project’s March 2017 trip began on Sunday, with Port-au-Prince as their first stop. This year, Lila and Andrew Meade, the two co-founders of the Project, are accompanied by Jackie Eiting (board member), Manning Wu ’14 (VHP alumna), and ten Vassar students, who cannot wait to share their experiences so far.

Alan: What strikes me most about Port-Au-Prince is the stark difference between what the city actually is and what we, as Americans, have been told about it. If Haiti is in the news, it is almost always negative, it’s death tolls, pictures of devastation, testimonials of the city’s poverty, etc. In reality, Haiti and Port-Au-Prince are more than this. Stepping out of the airport’s customs we were greeted by a band that played the most beautiful music. As we were winding our ways through the busy streets, I was astonished by the endless parade of people selling art, selling food. The beating heart of this city is its citizens, people who are kind, generous and creative. I hope to continue to learn what this great country truly is in the coming days and bring back pieces of its culture to my own.

Christine: From the second I stepped off the plane in Port-au-Prince I felt invigorated. Everywhere we turn there’s a vibrancy, from people performing music on the street to the beautiful, bright colors of the buildings lining the streets. The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful with vast, sloping mountains and tropical palm trees always within view. The people are so welcoming and I already feel at home.

Daniel: “Mwen rele Daniel”. I have said this multiple times since we arrived. The weather is “OOH”. Port-au-Prince is a busy city. Port-au-Prince has beautiful people. Port-au-Prince has a beautiful landscape. The food has been ‘A+’. We were told the trip would not be real till we arrive at Haiti and they was right. There are beautiful palm trees and terraces and the view of the hilly regions where a lot of buildings is so great. I am grateful to be here in person and make tangible memories. My fellow trippers also bring life to this trip and I am glad I came with them. It is interesting and I am sure it will be more interesting. Can’t wait to meet more beautiful people. It’s been thrilling so far.

Gabi: Haiti is as busy as it is vibrant. One of the first things that I noticed when stepping off the plane in Port-au-Prince is the stark contrast between the extremely busy lives that Haitians engage in, noticeable in the crowded streets of the city, and the quiet moments of peaceful greenery spotted in the views off of small terraces. Lila told us that the art that we have grown accustomed to seeing in VHP art sales would come to life during our time in Haiti. I have definitely found this to be true. Not only in the streets, homes, and landscapes of Haiti, but also in the stories that gallery owners have told us about the artists. These stories have put the art that we have been selling over the years in context, enhancing our passion about the artwork and the importance of supporting Haitian artists.

Grace: My first sight of Port-Au-Prince left me in shock. Crumbling buildings, mass poverty, emaciated children and animals roaming the street. Yet, then we turned into this driveway and saw the hotel followed by gallery after gallery. We saw the school children in their crisp and beautiful uniforms. I saw pain and anguish in the art, but also dancing, singing, and pure joy. I was amazed at how the art managed to capture the emotions of the painters, and honored to be surrounded by them. Sometimes I think people see Haiti and get lost in the rubble, the bad stories, the crime rates, the litter and they fail to see the good. They don’t hear the music bursting from the churches. They can’t see the determination and pure will of the people to survive and thrive, despite everything against them whether it be economic, political, social, or verbal. It is because of the determination of the people, the emotion of the art, and the kindness I’ve been shown that I’ve fallen in love with the Haitian culture and people.

Manning: Haiti reminds me a lot of Bolivia, but it is 1000 times poorer. Yet Haitians seem to be content with their lives. We have a saying in China, which says that happiness belongs to those who are satisfied easily. Haitians cannot imagine what life could be otherwise, what they have now is all they know, and I think that lack of comparison is key to their happiness. Having always lived in big cities, I have seen more and I have always wanted more. Nothing seems to be ever enough. I look forward to visiting Chermaitre and transforming my views about how to be happy.

Phebe: So far the energy of both Port-au-Prince and the people has been the most surprising wonder. From musicians in the airport to the chaotic streets, the lively energy encompasses all aspects of Haitian life. Just driving through Port-au-Prince, I have come to admire the chaotic ways of the Haitians and their sense of community as they all pass by and interact throughout the streets.

Sabrina: Haiti is like a wild, passionate love that cannot be copied. Everything is unexpected from people walking in front of cars as they pass by or the random bursts of music and laughter. The people are beautiful with uncontained love and charisma.  I can only hope that I will be able to absorb some of Haiti’s unconditional love and resilience. Port au Prince is slowly being rebuilt to the great city it used to be.

Sam: I have an array of emotions and responses to my first day or two in Haiti. The city of Port-au-Prince is constantly astir, with individuals out exploring, selling items, going to and from school, and assuming the hustle and bustle of everyday life. This creates a consistent energy that permeates all around, and I certainly have felt it in our travels throughout the city so far. Below the surface, everyone with whom I have spoken or exchanged words is kind, responsive, and appreciative, even if I simply say ‘hello’ or ‘thank you’ in Creole, words which I’m sure they hear a lot from tourists or foreigners. I can’t wait to travel to Chermaitre and other places and learn more about the country and its people.

Sophia: Port-au-Prince is beautiful, not for its sites or architecture, as other international hubs are, but for its people. Their resilience and kindness creates energy where, in many other locations, there would be none. Their lives are every bit as colorful as those depicted in their vibrant art. I am so excited to learn more about the people of Haiti and to get to know their varying ways of life as we travel around.

Udbhav: Haiti makes me believe in love. There is something about the streets, the smiles from strangers, the sunsets, the art- that has me floored. It’s a city with blemishes of past crises, but above all it is a city of people- one that is lived in and felt through all its nooks and corners. I can’t keep my eyes off of it.

On the evening of February 10 at Vassar College, the Vassar Haiti Project held She Is, a formal gala filled with great performances and delicious food. The event was dedicated to the inspiring women of the world, with proceeds collected to support the Women’s Cooperative in VHP’s partner village, Chermaitre, Haiti. The first Women’s Gala held by Vassar Haiti Project, it was an evening of joy. Despite of an unexpected fire alarm in the middle of the gala, the event was able to continue afterwards.

Here are some quotes from students and members of the Vassar Haiti Project who participated:

“The night of the Gala was a special one indeed. It forced us all to confront the realities of the times we were living in, to take it all in, share our pain, our stories, ourselves- and in doing that get closer to our best selves.”   – Udbhav Agarwal ’18

“After the planning and preparation that went into the event, the sight of people gathered in the Villard room, people who shared in the purpose of honoring women and celebrating individual worth, was uplifting. There was support for a vision to make this world better by taking small steps, and all the people in that room were taking steps with VHP.”   – Daniel Elendu ‘19

“That fire alarm didn’t stop us! It was amazing to see so many people come committed to empowering women they have never met or known but understand their importance and irreplaceability in our lives. Thankful for the people who continue to care.”

–Serena Lee ‘18

Stay tuned to our coming events, a Haitian Art Sale in New York City in April and the Art and Soul Reception in May!

Alex: Lila often told our partners in Haiti that the people of Haiti teach us how to care for the world.  I couldn’t think of a more accurate way to describe how much I learned about both humanity and myself from our experience in Haiti.  There really is no way that I can accurately describe the beauty, vitality, and strength of the people and places we saw and the interactions we had in Haiti.  Never before have I been forced to confront such harsh and juxtaposing extremes.  Unable to stop thinking about our partners in Haiti, I return back to America and Vassar more motivated and focused than ever to make VHP as strong a program as possible.  Thank you to all our partners in Haiti, especially Pere Wildaine, Andrew and Lila, and the 2016 Trippers for making this the experience of a lifetime!

Amaesha: As soon as I arrived in Haiti, I was overwhelmed by the welcoming atmosphere. Whether it was Jina’s unwavering hand as I climbed the mountain or the little girls who braided my hair with such patience and care, I realized that love has no language. Seeing Jina’s face light up as she understood Tic Tac Toe and Mackenson’s face break into a smile as I let him wear my jacket made me realize that the beauty I admired in the surrounding landscapes and Haitian art was the same beauty that I saw everyday in the faces of the different people I interacted with. Having so little but giving so much of themselves, they left permanent marks on my soul. As for my fellow trippers, Lila, Andrew, Pere Wildaine, Quincy, Edson, Benoit & Jimmy, I learned so many important life lessons from these people that I will cherish forever. Every part of our journey helped me see VHP in a new light and helped me to understand myself a little better. As I take part in VHP events, I will continue to visit Haiti in my mind and heart. This is a trip I will remember for years to come.

Andrew:  

Thank you for living powerfully in the question of who you and VHP are, rather than being stopped by those questions or settling upon one answer.  Thank you for time and time again presencing your higher selves, for coming from love while stepping boldly into the unknown.  Thank you for your incredible willingness to constantly step beyond doubt and outside of your comfort zones.

Thank you for your trust and thank you for tenderly loving and taking care of one another – and for having a blast in so doing!

Thank you also for loving Haiti.

Mwen remen ou anpil.

Anna: This trip had been a wonderful and inspirational journey. I learned a lot throughout these 10 days about VHP, Haitian culture, and self identity. I had the opportunity to see Haiti in its natural, original form after only being able to visualize it from the words of others. Seeing the different styles of Haitian art, talking to locals with limited Kreyol skills, and forming these new relationships with a culture that is completely different from my own made me treasure every interaction I had; I love Haiti not only for its culture, but because it also constantly tempts us to question, reevaluate and learn the dynamics of life. I know that we are all not the same people after this trip. The experiences in Haiti were mountains beyond mountains. I will treasure these memories dearly, and thank you to everyone for making this trip possible.

Hao: Before this trip, I had a vague impression of Haiti and what VHP is doing in Chermaitre; but the trip visualized everything. Now I come back with 100 reasons to love Haiti: I love the flowing river, the surprises and happiness on children’s faces, the colorful painting strokes, the sound of nature between mountains, and the people passing by, greeting “Bonjour” with shiny smiles☺. I appreciate everyone who made this trip possible, and became such a precious, transformative, and fun experience in life.

Kidus: I truly believed before this trip that I understood what VHP was and did.

I honestly was completely in the dark about both Chermaitre and our work there. There are a million different cheesy lines and ideas that I could convey to describe our experiences or the people there. I won’t claim to know or really understand a culture or people from a 10 day trip, but I do feel comfortable stating that I met some lovely people, saw some beautiful landscapes, and experienced firsthand the inspirations for the wonderful art I took for granted at our art sales.

I’ve learned that the work we do isn’t perfect, but it has had real, meaningful results for our partners in Chermaitre. I hope to continue this work.

Shoutouts to Andrew and Lila for everything you have done and continue to do; to my fellow trippers for putting up with my philosophical tangents; and Pere Wildaine, Edson, and Quincy for not abandoning us on the side of the road after days of listening to us butcher Creole and asking too many questions.

It was grand.

Lauren: I don’t know what to do with myself now that I’m not constantly surrounded by 12 of my favorite people at Vassar, and the two who made the entire experience possible, Lila and Andrew.  I don’t think I really believed people when they said I’d be processing the trip for the next six months, but I get it now. I think I’ll be trying to understand everything I saw and learned on this trip for the rest of my life. I don’t know what else I can say about it right now, because I’m still exhausted and emotional and can’t think straight, but I just want to conclude that I would not trade my experiences in Haiti for anything. In ten short-but-so-very-long days, I fell in love with Haiti and its people, and I think they deserve anything we can do to support them and show the world how beautiful, powerful, and admirable they are.  My relationship with VHP, and the world, has been forever changed, and I want to thank Lila, Andrew, my fellow Trippers, Pere Wildaine, Edson, Quincy, Mackenson, Benoit and Jimmy, Nurse Rosenerline, the children of Chermaitre, and everyone else I met or got to know for that. Love you all. [Current music: Only Just a Call Away, by The Struts]

Lila: The level of team for VHP is now taken to a new level.  This trip stretched us all into the question of (ok everyone, sigh) being and who each of us are individually and collectively in caring for this wild and wonderful world we live in.  Thank you all for the laughs, the tears, and the love that poured out for over 12 days.  I shall never forget the moments of the trip where we were one.  And for our family left behind in Haiti, thank you for teaching me that simplicity is the way.  And last but not least, to Pere Wildaine….why didn’t you vote for “our” car to be #1?  You know we were the best…..

Lily: Before leaving Haiti, I questioned what it would be like to return. How do I respond to the question, how was your trip? A sentence certainly doesn’t do this experience justice. It wasn’t “good.” This trip has given so much meaning to what VHP does, and my work with the organization. Meeting the villagers of Chermaitre, it makes all of the work we do here real, and makes me so much more determined to do as much as I can. Being on this trip with such an amazing group of people helped me to get so much more out of this experience. They inspired me, and helped me to interpret all of the feelings and experience from this trip. Now that I’m back, I know that I will be relying on them to help me readjust. My priorities have changed so much, and I know that this trip has forever altered my perspective and I couldn’t be more grateful to have been a part of this experience.

Lucy:

“Does VHP really help the people in Haiti? Why do you love VHP?” I asked Shiqi.

“Ask me the same questions after the trip.” she replied.

And now, I am back from Haiti, sitting in the same dorm and in front of the same computer. Yet I am different and all the questions I asked Shiqi have answers. My ten days in Haiti, accompanied by our wonderful team, Pere Wildaine, Edson, Quincy, people in Chermaitre and more, are thought-provoking and unforgettable. The trip contextualized VHP and Chermaitre. Statistics from the reforestation initiative are no longer numbers, but they contain the villagers’ complaints about the soil, PW’s great vision for the program and lovely coffee sprouts in the seedling plots. “Chermaitre” is no longer a name of a village, but it is the kids who danced and sang for us, the people who smiled and said “Bonjour”, the simple lifestyle of the villagers, as well as the poverty and struggle we witnessed. “Do not romanticize smallness, think BIG!” and the trip will keep inspiring me to work harder and have the determination to make VHP larger and better. I am grateful for being on this life-changing trip!

Melanie: Sitting behind a big screen in the library, I have no words to describe the complexities of this trip. The questions and thoughts that our experiences in Haiti have generated remain in my mind and heart. I would like to acknowledge the openness and friendliness of the people we met, especially our translator and mentor Pere Wildaine, our drivers Edson and Quincy, as well as the people of Chermaitre who made sure that we came back from our hikes in one piece. They made this trip unforgettable, and I will treasure every moment that we shared together.

Paarul: I’m back at home, getting ready to go back to Vassar, yet Haiti is continuously in my thoughts. Everywhere I look, I see abundance and I’m reminded of the poverty and simplicity of Haiti. As Zoe says, I’m also left with a whirlwind of emotions as I’m readjusting back into life here – and one of those emotions is determination. I’m determined to help us share and act upon all that we experienced and the love we received in Haiti. With another Munchy Monday around the corner, I’m positive that this trip has called us all into action and I’m excited to see what’s next!  

Serena: People usually say something is unreal to describe its amazingness. And while I would call Haiti “unreal” because it was incredible in so many ways, Haiti is 100% real. The beauty and brokenness, the joy and suffering, all of it. The people there embracingly loved us without resentment despite our privilege to live worrying over status, success, and power rather than food, shelter, and health. Thankful for all the people who we made relationships with and took us under their wing throughout the trip. Grateful to God for bringing me to Vassar to join this project. I hope that Haiti continues to have hope in the promise of Jesus, and we can continue to love our global neighbors and show a tangible hope.

Thao: The biggest contrast from the trip for me was the poverty and difficult living conditions versus the strength, love, and hope the people of Haiti continuously surprised me with! The interactions, experiences, and memories from the trip have and will continue to give me the strength and hope to love more, dream bigger, and work harder to be able to help more people and improve our work as the Vassar Haiti Project. I believe that my biggest accomplishment last year was joining VHP, and this year I am most proud and thankful to have had the opportunity to go on this trip with all our brilliant trippers, as well as our incredible “honorary trippers” Pere Wildaine, Quincy and Edson. The trip would not have been as perfect without any of you, mwen sonje ou et Ayiti!!!

Zoe: Reflecting back on our trip from my familiar dorm room, my mind is full of flashbacks of beautiful scenery, moments shared, and a whirlwind of emotions. What stands out to me the most are the connections and relationships we formed; learning Kreyol, speaking with Edson, Quincy and Pere Wildaine, playing UNO and tic-tac-toe, speaking Spanish with Mackenson, sorting beads and playing in the corner of the clinic with Amaesha and the 3 little boys we met. Equally salient is the extreme juxtaposition we witnessed. While sorting beads and having fun at the clinic, a boy was brought in and lay on cardboard with an IV inserted, nearly unconscious because of Cholera. Driving through Port-au-Prince I was entranced by the vibrant colors and beauty of the city, this was contrasted by rubble and damage still present from the earthquake. We danced, laughed and jump roped with children in the Kindergarten/Community Center building that is still under construction. This location also proved to be the location of intense sorrow when I learned that during a storm some of the cinderblocks the building is made of fell on some children and eventually had mortal consequences. These gut-wrenching, emotional moments lit a fire under me and my fellow trippers. We are now more motivated and determined than ever to raise the funds needed for our initiatives – most notably, funds for completion of the building construction and for the books for our friends in secondary school. I hope everyone will join us in our efforts!

Melanie Lai Wai ’16, VHP’s VP for Merchandise and representative for the Education Initiative in Haiti, wrote this post about her experience meeting a secondary school student in Chermaitre.

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“Wow! Ho ho ho!”
This morning I met the boy with the cutest laugh in Chermaitre. As I strolled out of a classroom in our primary school, ready for breakfast, I saw him standing in the schoolyard talking to Lila. She immediately ushered the Vassar trippers to introduce themselves to him, as he is one of the students from our brand new secondary school program.
Marckenson is eighteen years old and is the first one out of nine children in his family to attend secondary school. After he finishes his studies, he would like to follow in the footsteps of Pere Wildaine, our partner in Chermaitre, and become a priest. Although communication was hindered by my limited knowledge of Kreyol, he was very patient when explaining his situation and his hopes for the future. His parents both live away from Chermaitre: his father is in Port-de-Paix, his mother is in Gros Morne. For years, his aunt Melanie has been taking care of him and his two younger siblings when they went to primary school. A few years after finishing primary school, he decided to pursue his studies because, as Pere Wildaine explained, he wanted to be the light of his family.

I feel truly inspired by his story. It made me think about my own path and how it had never occurred to me that not going to secondary school was an option. His strength and his perseverance exceed by far that of anyone I know. Marckenson may not have a degree, he may not have seen the wonders of the world, he may not have any material objects to share, but in one day he has become one of the people I respect the most.

If you would like to help support the secondary school students click here!

On March 18th,  the second day that trippers stayed in Chermaitre, we had a meeting with the women co-operative, first with the executive board, and then with the general body. Thao Nguyen, as one of the representatives for the women’s initiative, wrote the following post about her experiences.

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It was a true honor for me to have been able to meet with the amazing women of Femme Chermaitre. Despite their difficult backgrounds and experiences, the women carried themselves with so much pride and strength. This was a surprising and pleasant difference from our previous meetings where the people were more shy and reserved. This meeting was lead by the women. They walked us through the challenges the co-op was facing as well as their vision and hopes to better Femme Chermaitre operations. After discussing among themselves, the women collectively decided on new changes and plans we proposed for the co-op.

We showed the women our video of Femme Chermaitre with footages from our last year’s meeting with them. We were filled with joy to see their smiles as they saw themselves the way we see them. From a certain point of view, these women have nothing, no riches, for most of them not even decent education. But from our point of view, they are the richest people. Their wealth comes from their pride (in themselves, their children, Chermaitre) as well as their kindness, love and care for the community. These women took responsibility upon themselves to work hard, create a business, support their families and Chermaitre. We’re in awe of their motivation and incredible strength. These beautiful women of Femme Chermaitre inspire and empower us everyday to continue the important work we do with the Vassar Haiti Project and also give us strength and faith to pursue our own dreams of caring for the world.

The Vassar Haiti Project and the Vassar Club of Washington DC hosted a sale of Haitian paintings and handcraft at St. Mark’s (Capitol Hill) Episcopal Church on February 5, 6, & 7, 2016.  As the co-founder of VHP, Lila Meade shares her being in the art sale.

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It all starts with one’s word. Jackie Eiting came to Haiti with the Vassar Haiti Project (VHP) last March. When we got back home, she simply declared, “I want to do something for the people of Chermaitre”. And that was it: a simple declaration that probably would have gotten lost in the world of today.

But Jackie is a woman of her word and made the impossible happen. Jackie has her own consulting practice specializing in executive coaching, team development and leadership development. She comes up to Vassar and works with the VHP leadership team to coach us in thinking bigger.

It took Jackie a few months to find a partner in Washington DC to agree to host an art sale with complete strangers. College students, no less! And from that one little “yes” all things became possible.

Kidus Girma’18, Yujie Feng ’17, Andrew and I trekked down to DC and were introduced to our new partners who were (naturally) not sure of what to expect. Maureen Shea and other committed members of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church near the Capitol building showed us the space where we would host the sale. How should we make all this work? We made our promise to have the event be great and we had no idea how that would enfold other than our underlying pure intention that we want to support education in a rural village some 1400 miles from New York.

And then it began.…how would we get people from DC to the sale….how do we get the students to the sale…..how do we get the art to the sale…..where do we stay when we get to DC (we don’t incur hotel expenses if possible)….how many students….how much artwork….? Well, I think you get the idea. The questions never stopped unfolding until the minute we departed some four months later.

Judy Lem, Class of 2003 and Chair of the Vassar alumnae club in DC met with us and offered the possibility of having the club support our work in Haiti which she has followed for years. She enrolled the VCDC alum committee and from that moment on, the questions continued: how do share our work with the alums, how do we get them to get our work? how can they assist us during the sale? Well, I think you get the idea again. Months later, before the sale, we realized there were more than 20 alum volunteers and panicked about what would they all do to help us during the sale?

And then there were the VHP student volunteers. So many students wanted to come to DC from Vassar! We had fifteen current VHP students join us, mostly our student leadership. And that’s in addition to the many VHP alums who are now working in DC who came and joined the party. Ready as can be, they juggled class work and job work, heading to our art sale, ready to take the baton and run.

It seems as though the last fifteen years of our Project’s existence was a dress rehearsal for this art sale. We arrived after 9pm on Thursday night, unloaded the van and wondered who we would all be staying with? Jackie arranged it all and our welcoming hosts showed us to their respective digs. Friday morning: OMG, where do we begin? And the living questions became answers, one at a time.

“Ti pa ti pa, wazo fe niche li” one of our resonating mantras in Haitian creole, begins to manifest itself. Little by little, the bird builds its nest.

I wish you could have seen us in action. The team moves seamlessly through each phase of the setup process. Andrew (Meade) orchestrates each step of the way with facility and calm. Team leaders work with alums – complete strangers – as they enter the room and ask, “What can I do?” It’s amazing to see this process and as the day unfolds, we become family. The alumnae poured in to support our work that day and night…many said that they hadn’t been part of Vassar events for a long time and it was great to have them dance with us. Three days later, many connections were made, and we made a lot of money for our programs in Haiti. And we had so much fun. Never to be forgotten.

We left St. Mark’s that Sunday, all a bit different. Maureen told us that her neighbors were texting photos of all the items they bought to each other, proudly showing off their new paintings. Our students talked to DC residents and alums who work everywhere from the World Bank to the White House and everything in between. Alums ask to be put on our volunteer list. And as we leave, embracing the new friends who were strangers just days before, we wonder, “how can we ever repeat that?”

And we remember that it all starts with one’s word.

Lila Meade, Co-founder

Vassar Haiti Project

2.29.16

On November 20, 21 and 22,  the Vassar Haiti Project had our second Haitian Art Sale in Setauket, New York.  In the following post, Alexandra Ng ’19 shares her perspective from the art sale.

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As a freshman member of VHP, seeing the sale in action was a transformative experience that introduced me to the strength of the VHP family and meaning behind our various projects.  Each student had a specific role during the day, from host, introducing our various initiatives to customers, to cashier, art wrapper, and usher.  Seeing every member embrace their role and embody the VHP mission as their own was not only impressive, but also beautiful.  I was proud to show off our beautiful paintings and handcrafts to customers and even more excited to learn how many customers attended our art sales annually. With each art sale, the bond among us deepens, and we understand that teamwork and trust are essential for producing a successful event.

After three long days of selling art, little sleep, and interacting with hundreds of customers, we were all physically exhausted, but energized and satisfied by the results of our art sale. The final push came with the “tear down” of the art sale.  I was amazed to see how quickly and efficiently 13 VHP members were able to rapidly transform the room from a vibrant Haitian paradise back to a church multipurpose room.  The spirit and heart of the VHP family was apparent as we loaded our U-Haul van with considerably fewer pieces of art and handcrafts than when we began the trip.   I will never forget the collective sigh of relief we all shared when the room was restored, satisfied with the effort we put into the entire weekend and excited with the new resources we could offer our partners in Chermaitre.

The success of this art sale was much due to the efforts of Jeanine and Peter Morelli, members of the St. James Church (and a Vassar alumnus, Jeanine!) who graciously hosted us in their home and ensured we had a never ending buffet of various baked goods.  Their overwhelming hospitality and commitment to making the art sale a success was commendable.  Thank you, Jeanine and Peter, for opening your home, your church, and your hearts to the VHP family!

The sunset on the ride home was simply the perfect ending to a transformative weekend. The sky was illuminated with vibrant pinks, purples, and oranges that rivaled the bright and vivid colors of our Haitian paintings and handcrafts. As Lila and I admired the sunset (everyone else in the car was in a deep sleep), I was overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment and pride in the success of VHP. I am so grateful to VHP’s members for enthusiastically welcoming me into the the family, and I look forward to many more art sales!

On November 7th, the Vassar Haiti Project tabled in the annual Asian Students’ Alliance (ASA) Night Market. The following is a collaborative post from Ruoyu (Lucy) Li, and Thao Nguyen about the preparation and tabling for the event.

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The feeling of making a cuisine from home is unexplainable, especially for me when it comes to making dumplings. Every year during Spring Festival, the most important holiday in China, I’d sit with my entire family around a big table and make tons of dumplings for celebration. And this year, I sat with VHP around a big table and we made hundreds of dumplings for the ASA Night Market. I thought I would feel homesick, but I did not. Instead, I felt at home.

Dumpling making (like working in VHP) is a collaborative and time-consuming work. On Friday November 6th, we started at 6 p.m. and probably finished around 10 p.m. We made over 350 lovely dumplings. We started by chopping everything in sight into tiny pieces, which was a very stress-relieving activity — highly recommended during the more stressful weeks of the semester. Then we mixed everything together, poured in all kinds of seasonings and then mixed them by hand. A thousand thanks to Kidus, our VP for External Events, who sacrificed his hands for the job! Finally, we got to sit together and make dumplings, and I was surprised to find that everyone had their own way of wrapping dumplings. From this, I learned that there are multiple ways to reach our goals, and making dumplings is no exception. Throughout the night, even though we were all working incredibly hard, there was music, conversation and joy.

Our effort is not only for the Night Market: the money raised by selling dumplings will go to the Education Initiative to support our school and scholarship program in Haiti. When we speak of supporting education in a developing country, we might think of something serious and tiring, and not a happy dumpling-making party. But helping can actually be achieved by doing something small and with personal joy, like what we did that night. Fabulous people, fabulous food and fabulous purpose.

Lastly, I wanted to extend a big thanks to everyone who helped in making dumplings, and especially to Udbhav Agarwal ‘18, the Director of VHP’s Education Initiative. I would also like to send my thanks to Robyn Cox ‘15, Vassar alumni, for the amazing dumpling recipe!

-Ruoyu Li ’19

I could not help with dumpling making so I signed up to table during the Night Market. We had dumplings, steamed buns and mini rice balls. The food looked great and tasted even more amazing because of all the love and hard work VHP-ers had put into making them. I was pretty nervous at first because people worked very hard and we had a lot of food to sell. But as soon as the event started and until the very end (2 hours) we were busily selling food to the lines of people in front of VHP’s table. People really enjoyed the food and wanted to support VHP’s work. We even ran out of steamed buns half way through and had to make more for our hungry customers! It was awesome getting to work side by side VHP-ers, talking to more people about the project and increasing VHP’s presence on Vassar campus.

-Thao Nguyen ’18

Vassar Haiti Project holds stretching parties regularly before our sales. During stretching parties, we stretch paintings onto wooden frames, giving them the support necessary for display at art sales. The following is a stretching tutorial from Melanie Lai Wai ’16, our VP for Merchandise.

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A stretching party is a VHP tradition. Several times every semester, after VHP receives a new order of Haitian paintings, we hold a stretching party where members from all initiatives and committees come together to assemble the painting canvases with their wooden frames and produce the beautiful products that our customers see in art sales.

If you are wondering about what goes on behind the scenes of Vassar Haiti Project, this fun tutorial on how to stretch a painting will give you a peek into our internal activities!

>>Step 1

Prepare the work surface that you will be working on. Stretching a painting will involve a lot of staples so we want to make sure that you do not damage your furniture.

Lay out a thick piece of fabric on the table if you are working indoors or if the weather is sunny, simply bring your tools outside in the yard!

>>Step 2

Gather your tools.

>>Step 3

Paintings are usually shipped to us rolled up like giant Swiss rolls and it is our job to lay them out (stretch them) on wooden frames (a.k.a. “stretchers”)

Pick a painting. Today we will be stretching “Village Talk” by Georges Desarmes.

>>Step 4

Measure the length and width of your painting and gather four stretchers of the same dimensions as the painting, one for each side. Ours is a 10-inch by 12-inch painting.

>>Step 5

Assemble the stretchers.

>>Step 6

Center the painting canvas on the stretchers. Holding the canvas firmly on one side of the rectangular frame, staple it.

>>Step 7

Now flip the painting. We will attempt to staple the opposite side of the canvas. Using the canvas pliers, pull the fabric as much as you can over the stretcher bar and staple it.

>>Step 8

We can now staple the other sides of the painting. Make sure that the fabric is pulled very tightly before stapling it to the stretcher, otherwise the end result will not have a smooth surface. Staple each side as many times as you think necessary; you are the best judge!

However, if you happen to see that the surface of the painting is still loose after adding a staple, fear not! Remove the staple very carefully with a screw driver (don’t hurt yourself!) and start over.

>>Step 9

After stapling each side of the canvas to the stretcher bars, check to see whether the surface of the painting is tight enough (you should feel it pushing against your fingers when you apply a slight force). If it is to your liking, secure the staples by hammering them in.

>>Step 10

Now secure the corners.

>>Step 11

Trim the excess fabric on the sides for a cleaner look.

>>Step 12

The final step is to add a sticky label at the back of the painting, specifying the name of the painting, the artist, the size of the painting and its price.

Village Talk by Georges Desarmes. To see more of his work, please visit our website

Voilà! Our painting is ready to be displayed on a wall!

We hope that you have enjoyed this brief tutorial.

Every year, hundreds of paintings are stretched by VHP volunteers. It is thanks to their dedication and hard work that our art sales look as beautiful as this :

Please stop by if you are ever in the area!