We would like to thank all those who helped us keep on going. This has been a very tough time for us, our workers and the independent artisans we work with. It is still very tough. But when we see some of our workers eagerness to work, to go on with their lives - how can Yvresse go over the loss of his only daughter born 15 days before? How can Philippe still smile when he saw his mother die? - the hardships of the rebuilding appear lighter.
This thank you note goes especially to the following (in no particular order):
Melody Bales of Lady From Haiti in Naples, FL.- one of our long time and most faithful customers;
The people from ATA (Aid To Artisans) - Colleen, Anne, Alden, David to name just a few
Jonathan Williams of Tesoros Trading Company - without you we might have quit...
The people from VivaTerra - Susan being our most enthusiastic supporter;
The people of Ten Thousand Villages - Doug, Kathleen, Craig and Joyce (also to name just a few)Elizabeth Lutzi from Pine Island Cruises and Variety Store in St. James City, FL.
You all not only gave us prepaid orders, some not knowing when we might resume production, but you also sent money to help reconstruction or to help directly our workers.
We would also like to thank :
President Clinton and President Bush for their visit which brought hope (and a lot of pride!) to our workers.