Zafèn

The beads and other supplies used by the artisans of Delice Ateliers are hard to find in Haiti. They used to have to travel to the Dominican Republic and sometimes even NYC to find the supplies they needed to fulfill customer orders.  Then they received a loan from Zafen to purchase supplies for their crafts in bulk. 

Since they’ve received the loan, their business has been thriving and they’ve been able to travel to several folk art fairs to sell their work. Their staff is growing and they’ve been making repayments on schedule.  

Another Zafen success story!

Help us create more success stories by making a loan today.  

In January the Societe de Management, de Développement et Services (SOMADES) received a Zafen loan for their farmer training and crop diversification project.

Since then, the owner has rented farmland and bought an irrigation pump.  Then he enclosed the land to prevent animals from coming to eat the crops and planted diverse crops -  banana plantlets, papayas, hot peppers, okra, cabbage, and sweet potatoes after hiring about 6 men to plow the land.

Once the farm got up and running, he hired three full time employees, two to work in the morning and a watchman at night.  The first crops were sold to “Ti machann” (local vendors) at reasonable prices so that they could resell them at market for profit.  

We’re very excited about the success of this project so far. It’s good for the land and great for the local economy.  Take a look at some before and after pictures of the farm.

Click here to learn more about Zafen or to loan money directly to someone in Haiti. 100% of your loan goes directly to the project of your choice.

We currently have dozens of important projects in need of funding. Projects that will expand small businesses, put people to work and strengthen local economies. Rather than focus on just one, we’re going to use this post to highlight 3 smart investments in the future of Haiti.

A loan to the clothing shop at Rendez-vous Bureau pour la Promotion Social (RBPS) will allow them to stock up on fabric and meet production demands from their community of Camp-Perin. Realistic estimates have them adding 17 new staff members.  

A loan to Haitian Plant and Accessories (HAPAC) will make it possible for them to purchase materials in bulk for planting on the low Central Plateau. Purchasing materials in bulk will reduce the overall cost of the materials, and allow for more trees to be planted thus helping to reverse the trend of deforestation. This project will create 4 new jobs plus create boundless long-term environmental and economic benefits to the region.

A loan to the Friends of Petit of Goave Bakery will bring the first bakery to that community. 11 staff members will be hired to run the community bakery, plus many additional people will have the opportunity to be involved with baking classes, etc.

These are just a few of our projects that are currently seeking funding. You can find more at our projects page. 

Your small investment of $25 can make it happen!