"Pote Mwen" literally translated from Haitian Creole means "Carry Me".   We certainly hope people will want to purchase and carry the handcrafted products made by the students at our Sewing Center in Les Anglais, Haiti, but the name means more...Creating and selling these products helps carry a woman out of poverty, and into a place where she can learn to provide for her family.  Carrying her out of desperation, and into a place where she is taught not only a valuable skill, but she is also taught that she herself has immense value and worth!  

 

One of our 4 primary directives is to create job opportunities & provide vocational training.  At the Harvest Field Sewing Center women learn how to create quality products, but we teach them more than just how to sew.  We provide a solid foundation for small business basics so the ladies are able to operate an at-home sewing business after they graduate. And they also hear The Gospel so they learn how Jesus adores them and how God created them with a specific purpose for their lives.  

Our classes are full of single mothers looking for a way to feed their children, of teenagers lacking formal education that need an opportunity, and of widows and grandmothers with no means of providing for their own basic needs.  We appreciate everyone who purchases Pote Mwen products because while buying a purse may not be a big impact for you, it is a life-changing blessing for these women!    

Meet Madame Rosemead Luoisard, one of the students at the Harvest Field Sewing Center.  Rosemeade grew up in Les Anglais, where she completed school through the 6th grade.  Rosemead and her husband have struggled with the challenges of poverty all their life, but especially since the birth of their 2 daughters.  "My husband makes 100 gourdes (about $2 U.S.) per day making charcoal, which is more than many people in Haiti make, but it's not enough for us to care for our daughters properly.  Even though I'm not finished with the program yet, my life has already changed because I can already make some things to sell at the market.  It also makes me proud that I can make my own clothes for myself and my family.  After I finish the program I will be able to make even more money so my daughters can have a better life.  I am very happy that people in American buy purses and other things we make here in Les Anglais because without this school, I have no other opportunities."

For information on purchasing Pote Mwen products, hosting a Pote Mwen party in your community, or to learn about serving with us in Les Anglais and seeing the Sewing Center personally, please contact laura@harvestfieldhaiti.org.