Our Work Continues

 

Sadly, I’m finding that my time is dwindling rapidly here in the DR and there is so much more I’d like to accomplish before making the trek back to the US.

The women in the co-op have made incredible progress in their jewelry making skills as evidenced by the photos of their work and this is only after 1.5 weeks of practice! They are so excited about the prospect of including this newfound skill to their repertoire.

The entire Batey community is waiting in vain for the arrival of new materials purchased on their behalf from our generous donors.  To date we’ve funded $690.00 towards our goal of $1,425.00. Unfortunately, we’ve had to spend far too much time going from government office to government office to have the materials released from customs without paying exorbitant taxes (double the cost of the goods.) If only I could spend the precious time I have left working with the community instead of being caught up in bureaucracy, but such is life and my expectations are set to exactly where they should be. 

Luckily, my girls, Giana & Bryn, are still able to carry on in my absence from the community and we have high hopes that tomorrow will be the magic day when we can pick up our much-desired supplies!

On a high note, we have completed a very professional “look book” advertising the newly designed beach totes and jewelry line that will be presented to hotels and gift shops around the island that cater to the tourist industry.

In addition to the new jewelry skills the women are learning, they also have a desire to expand their business skills and understanding of how to price, design and market merchandise. We’ve already begun some classes to increase their understanding and business skills. The women will be presenting these skills to the Pujols Family Foundation (the co-cponsor with Nest for the women’s co-op) in early September and we are helping to prepare them.

I wish I could adequately express how many people are eager to learn the skill of jewelry making.  It’s VERY expensive to obtain the necessary materials here in this country, and people see this as a viable skill to make a living. They are so grateful for this opportunity that we are presenting.

People in the Batey do not have running water, the walls and roofs of their homes are made from corrugated tin and they have dirt floors.  It rains and floods here often with frequent power outages. 

Please remember that You can make a real difference in the lives of these women and children of the Batey Aleman community.  Dragonfly Designs will donate a pair of our sterling silver style #199 earrings for each $20.00 gift of jewelry making supplies to the Batey.

http://www.jewelrybydfly.com/product.asp?id=332

How can YOU help?

http://www.jewelrybydfly.com/give.html

http://www.jewelrybydfly.com/product.asp?id=1480

More soon on additional progress that we are making in Batey Aleman!

Accomplishments to Date

 

We’ve been here for a little more than a week now, so what have we accomplished and what’s on the agenda for the remainder of our trip?

Well, I’ve personally learned that my Spanish leaves much to be desired, but hey, somehow I’m getting by on the same vocabulary used over and over again and I’ve learned to drop the letter “s” from everything I say!  As our  Nest field rep Matt likes to say, “These women speak faster than a machine gun shoots bullets” it’s mind bogging! Aside from that, we are hoping to complete our 700^th conference bag for The Pujols Family Foundation by Thursday, and save for the 10 inches of rain that Tropical Storm Emily is threatening to bring along with her, that just might be possible.

At this time the co-op does not have any pending production orders. The women are excited to learn the art of jewelry making and we will now have the opportunity to begin our classes on Monday during the regular co-op hours with the supplies that I brought with me!  We’ve also purchased the materials to design new beach totes and a handbag that we’ll be marketing to the upscale hotels around the island. We hope to have the initial designs completed today as we are spending the weekend in the capitol city of Santo Domingo, where will be visiting hotels and museums during our stay to attempt to build partnerships with our cooperative. (We are also going to sneak in the Harry Potter movie as it just opened here TODAY!)

Dragonfly Designs, my company, will be placing an order for custom designed totes because they are beautiful, painstakingly made works of art and to keep the women employed as we try to develop a long term strategy for additional local business.  We hope to be able to post photos of the new totes soon and will be taking orders from the public for the new bags which I plan to bring back to the United States with me (to save on the normally excessive shipping rates) for distribution.

 

We’ve had the opportunity to introduce jewelry making to the children of the Batey and they absolutely love it. In fact, I’ve been approached to teach jewelry making classes to the entire Batey community as there is such an intense interest.  Dragonfly Designs offers a class in the United States called “Jewelry Making for Budding Entrepreneurs” and we will use this curriculum to teach business and jewelry making skills to the women and children in the Batey Aleman community. The cost to supply the entire community with sufficient tools and supplies (including shipping costs) is $1,425.00 dollars. To date, we’ve raised $330.00. Please help us fund this project and teach the art of jewelry making and the ability to sell it to promote self sufficiency, business acumen and self esteem to an entire community living in poverty. Our website accepts donations in $20.00 increments and Dragonfly Designs will send you the thank you gift of your choice!  Please help us spread the word by sharing this project with your friends as well! Together we CAN make a difference!

How can YOU help?

http://www.jewelrybydfly.com/give.html

http://www.jewelrybydfly.com/product.asp?id=1480

More soon on additional progress that we are making in Batey Aleman!

Arrival in The Dominican Republic

After a tearful goodbye at the airport..leaving my two youngest children and husband to embark on our new adventure...we had a long, yet seamless flight to the DR.  

We were greeted by Matt, Nest's fabulous field manager, at the airport and got settled into the apartment where we will stay for the duration of our trip.  Matt made us feel welcome and informed and has been keeping us busy since our arrival!

We arrived too late in the day to meet the women, but had our opportunity the next afternoon!  We are staying in San Pedro, a town located about 15 minutes (by taxi ride) away from the Batey where the co-op is located.  Bateyes are communities where those who work in the sugar fields live. There is little work any longer working the sugar fields as most companies have left the area.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batey_(sugar_workers'_town) 

We were greeted at the door with a Bienvenidos sign, and the women welcomed us into their co-op. After a brief introduction, we jumped in to help with their current order...hundreds of conference bags designed for The Pujols Family Foundation a co-sponsor of the co-op along with Nest. We, my girls and I, did our best to be of assistance while learning the operation.  

My girls have found their place among the many children of the Batey who adore Giana and Bryn, and the feeling is mutual.  The girls spend their days entertaining the children with fingerknitting, piggy back rides, walks to the park, hand games, hair combing, tickles and laughter.

After my lame attempt at the foot pedal powered sewing machines, I've decided to do everyone a favor and stick with ironing! Yes Mark...I did say that I was ironing! The weather is hot with high humidity and daily rain storms, as well as frequent power outages...which means no fan in the ironing room..which gives me the opportunity to ponder the conditions around the world where clothing is made and appreciate every single stitch!

Today is Saturday, and we had a party that began at 10am.  We learned to cook fish, habichuelas, the hugest pot of rice I've ever seen, vegetables and ensalada rusa...every bite would make your mouth water and thee are flavors that we will always crave once we are back in the US. After lots of cooking, eating, and laughing, the women took us on a tour of the Batey which, after wading through huge puddles in the streets, landed us at the public swimming pool with music so loud that our ears are still ringing.  It was a truly wonderful day.

Next wee we hope to complete our order for the Pujos Family Foundation as the women are excited to learn jewelry making.  We do not have another order pending at this time, so I will be spending my time in country working to develop a local market place to sell their handmade goods.

Stop back soon and learn about our progress.