Helping Haiti: I ♥ Haiti T-Shirt Project!

The I ♥ Haiti T-Shirt Project is something I thought up several weeks after returning from Haiti. My plan was basic, I designed I ♥ Haiti T-Shirts online and financed the ordering of the shirts myself. I sell the shirts a few dollars more than what I bought them at and all the profits gained I donate. After the experience of being in Haiti and witnessing all the problems the country has I wanted to donate the money to Haiti in the form of education. Visiting with people in Haiti I asked each person if they could fix one thing in Haiti what would it be? I got several different answers but they all seemed the same; jobs, education, food, shelter, clean water. I figured the biggest impact I could make was donating to education. Investing in the education of young Haitians in my opinion will bring change the country. The youth of Haiti can and will be the change. With this in mind it is important to realize there is little or no public education in Haiti. Kids living in abject poverty must pay money to go to school. When I say pay money I mean pay for tuition, books, uniform, and school supplies. If I could change one thing in Haiti I would make education free and available to all children. So that was the idea for the project.

This is a common site at night, young haitian kids will crowd around street lights to study at night because they don't have electricity in their homes. Haiti's youth want to learn! They want an education!

Due to the recent earthquake that has devastated the country I have decided to donate all profits from the sale of shirts here in Ada, Oklahoma to Southwest Church of Christ. Southwest has made the commitment that 100% of donated money will go to heal, rebuild, grow the Port-au-Prince area. They are the perfect organization in my opinion to donate to aid the relief effort. Many of my friends contacted me after the earthquake and asked me my feelings on the situation: "While this is a huge set back in the progress of Haiti, now billions of dollars in aid are flowing into the impoverished nation. Now average people all over the world know where Haiti is on the globe. Now people are learning of the extreme poverty Haitians live in. Now more and more people want to help Haiti and that's great. I just hope people never forget about Haiti or the suffering the people have been going through decades before the earthquake hit."

My friends at Southwest have done a great deal of good work in Haiti and continue to do so. If anyone wants to really make an impact and help out Haiti I suggest donating to them. I have been to Haiti and seen all the great work they do and I'm very thankful for them. Visit: www.swcocada.com to learn of the work Southwest is doing in Haiti.

The I ♥ Haiti T-Shirt Project is going great! The African Caribbean Student Association, Tigers for Christ, and East Central Soccer Club have helped me promote the project. Last week we donated the first round of profits to Southwest in the amount of $1,000.00. While this may seem like a small amount here in the states it will go a long way in Haiti. I would like to personally thank everyone who has purchased an I ♥ Haiti T-Shirt or I love Haiti wristband. Still there are more shirts and wristbands available for sale! Shirt prices are $12.00 (S,M,L,XL) $13.00 for XXL. Wristbands are $5.00 a piece! Send an email to lovehaiti100@yahoo.com to inquire about getting a shirt or wristband.