Below is an exert from Ten Thousand Villages.

HOW PRODUCTS ARE MADE:

Some people in Haiti have found unique ways to make money by creating art from recycled materials. One group of artists live in the village of Croix des Bouquets. They recycle old metal, 55-gallon drums by cutting them open and hammering them flat, and then marking beautiful designs on the black metal with chalk. Using a hammer and chisel, they pound and cut through the metal to make designs. Some of the finished products are left black to hang on the wall as decorations. Others are painted with bright colors as fish, animals or even the bright colored taxi buses in Haiti, call tap-taps. Product care: To remove rust on Haitian metal products use WD40, an oil lubricant. The paints used are guaranteed to be lead-free.

ARTISAN GROUP: COMITE ARTISANAL HAITIEN (CAH) 8002

Since 1972, the nonprofit CAH, or Haitian Committee of Artisans, has marketed and exported crafts made by Haitian artisans, cooperatives and craft groups. The craftspeople whose work CAH promotes have organized themselves in a variety of ways. Some are cooperative associations, some are family workshops and some are independent artisans; all depend on the efforts of CAH to market their handicrafts for a fair wage.

ARTISAN STORY: AJOUPAS SHOP

Sadrole Louigene and Jean Wilbert Bruno are responsible for the group working at Ajoupas Shop in Croix de Bouquet. The Ajoupas shop makes brightly colored and unpainted cut -metal pieces. The men have been working with Ajoupas for about 10 years. The group began with two artisans and now employs about 30 artisans. Each artisan completes a different task. Some paint, like Rosanna Esta who paints tap-taps. Others
cut the metal. The artisans typically start work at 7 a.m. and work until 5 or 6 p.m. with two breaks. Ajoupas has allowed artists to come from outlying areas to work. Louigene and Bruno hope to continue to grow their export and tourist business. They hope to show more people what they have to offer. Right now business is slow but they enjoy receiving large orders so that everyone can work and not be discouraged.