On June 6th, Many Hands and Vi Bella held the Better Together event in Sioux Center, Iowa, the home base of Vi Bella, to announce an exciting new partnership between the two Iowa-based social entities. In the short few weeks since its inception, the partnership has already brought about positive changes within the community, bringing seven new jobs to artisans in Haiti. These jobs will help to provide a stable source of income and foster a sense of empowerment and self-sufficiency in an impoverished area.
Pictured above: Vi Bella Haitian staff and Christi Gabhart pose after staff training
Following the partnership event, staff training for new Vi Bella employees was held in Pignon, one of the communities Many Hands serves in Haiti. This training allowed seasoned artisans from another Vi Bella branch in Haiti to share their knowledge and expertise with the new employees. Elirose, a woman who completed the training, reflects on this experience saying, “Now, what I learned from the training, God allowed me to find the resources for me to be able to buy food for my family.”
Pictured above: Elirose and her baby
After staff training, four employees started full-time with Vi Bella, and three started part-time at the Pignon campus. The artisans join the broader Many Hands staff team and attend devotions at the start of each workday. Upon completion of a short devotion, beautiful pieces of jewelry such as earrings, necklaces, and bracelets are carefully handcrafted and sold through Vi Bella’s website and Iowa storefront. The revenue from each piece of jewelry sold is directly given back to the employees in Haiti, which is later spent by employees in the community and helps strengthen the local economy.
Pictured above: A product being sewn by a member of the Haitian team
The artisans are deeply appreciative of this opportunity to have meaningful work that earns income for their families. They see it as an answer to prayer and are also enjoying the community that comes from working in a group setting. Eldie, another full-time artisan, remarked, “I like to work in a group. When I can work in a group, I can learn from others.”
Pictured above: Elirose (left) and Eldie (right) enjoy the community at work
Looking toward the future, the hopes and outcomes for this partnership are promising. By combining their resources, expertise, and networks, Vi Bella and Many Hands hope to maximize their impact and create a ripple effect in the communities they serve. Both organizations envision continued growth and aspire to empower more individuals through skill training and job creation, ultimately leading to sustainable development and poverty alleviation.
About Many Hands:
Many Hands is an Iowa-based nonprofit creating local and global life transformation. Established in 2008, the organization aims to ignite generosity, grow community, and take people on IMPACT journeys to carve a new, better path to life. Each year, the organization reaches at least 25,000 people through its operations in the Caribbean, IMPACT Trips serving in Abaco, Bahamas, and Many Hands Thrift Markets located in Iowa
Many Hands is called to transform together, to be love in action, in a broken world.