Students plan to rebuild devastated Haitian business
By By Jean Caspers-Simmet
simmet@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 06/03/2010 9:22 AM
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DECORAH, Iowa —It takes close examination to see that the brightly colored purses, key chains and sandals Junette Maxis and Antonia Lliteras carry with them are made of candy wrappers and potato chip bags.
Maxis and Lliteras, students at Luther College, explain that Haitian women collect trash, clean it and use it to create crafts. Until the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti they were successfully selling them in their country and in the United States as part of RARA, a social business that was reducing waste and creating jobs in poor communities. RARA's building was destroyed in the earthquake and all its machines and work in progress were buried in the rubble.
Maxis, who was raised in Port au Prince, is a junior majoring in accounting and economics. Lliteras is a sophomore from Mallorca, Spain, majoring in political science and English.
They work with fellow Luther students Bryan Cayabyab and William Montoya and Siphiwa Sikhondze from Skidmore College to revamp the business and transform it into an effective social and economic tool for low-income or unemployed mothers. They hope to purchase 12 sewing machines and rent a building where the women can restart their company.
The term RARA is taken from the traditional Haitian RARA bands that roam the streets playing an eclectic variety of instruments made of repurposed found objects and metal.
The bags, sandals, wallets, flip-flops, purses, table and home decor made by RARA are sold online at www.rarabags.com, and Maxis and Lliteras are also selling the products at Luther to provide income for the Haitian women. Some crafts were stored in Florida prior to the earthquake, and some women have been able to continue working although it is much slower without the building and the electric sewing machines.
Maxis said her own family lost their home in the earthquake and are living in a tent.
"They are alive, and we are lucky," she said. "People in Haiti believe that if we help a larger group it will benefit the country in the long run."
Maxis and Lliteras have applied for a Clinton Global Initiative grant for $10,000 and would like to raise an additional $6,000 to $10,000.
"These women are able to see beyond what they don't have," Maxis said. "They see trash and are making something out of it."
"These women already have skills," Lliteras said. "We want to give them back the tools so that they can support themselves and their families."
The Luther students are also collecting candy and snack bag wrappers (colorful Dorito bags are popular), zippers, buttons, Velcro and key rings to help RARA get started again. They have collection boxes at businesses in Decorah.
People who want more information or who are interested in donating to the project can do so through Sue Halverson at the Luther College Student Life office. Her e-mail is halversu@luther.edu. About $3,000 has been raised so far. Maxis and Lliteras hope to have enough money to carry out the project in August.