Apparent Needs

The Apparent Project Currently Needs:

We encourage people to give with the mind-set that teaching a person to fish is better than giving them a fish. Therefore, we urge you to give priority to supplies that provide work for our artisans as they will then be able to purchase the other things they need from local merchants using their income.

Craft Supplies

Jewelry making/beading supplies: Beading projects are one of the fastest, most lucrative means for Haitian moms and dads to earn an income. We need lots and lots
of beading supplies! There is very little training needed for these crafts, so while
artisans train in the more difficult fine arts or sewing, these projects can keep them earning a small wage.

Knitting & Crocheting: Yarn & string based crafts are fairly simple to learn and a good introductory skill for our artisans. Only the mountain people wear knits in Haiti, but impoverished Haitians can make a good wage selling these things internationally. We need lots of yarn, needles, project ideas (i.e. instructional magazines), and... uh.... rocking chairs?

Other: Got a craft idea for us? Got supplies & tools to send? The only caveat is that it needs to be something that can be sold online and mailed easily. Let us know what
you have in mind.

Art Supplies

Drawing Supplies: Our introductory courses for artisans are drawing classes. Artist's pencils, erasers, smudgers, kneedable erasers, pencil sharpeners, and sketchbooks
are very helpful. Paper is expensive to ship and expensive for us to get out of customs, so the best bet is for visiting short term teams to bring larger art papers and sketch books in their luggage.

Paints: All colors, all brands, all types (Watercolor, Acrylic, Oil). Waterbased oils are preferred, as they clean up quickly and are less toxic on Haiti's already stressed ecosystem. Do not ship linseed oil, or other painting mediums such as varnish
wwithout checking with your postmaster first.

Brushes, Canvas, Easels: Some Canvases are available on the economy but raw materials (unstretched canvas, gesso, stretcher bars, etc.) are more rare and very expensive in Haiti. Because of the complication of shipping, we construct our own easels, but compact "full french" easels would be very helpful for artisans wishing to paint plein air in the streets or rural province areas.

Art Books: Instructional and historical books on fine art and craft making would be
very helpful for our workshop. Many of the artisans will have never seen a Van Gogh, never heard of Picasso, and many will not even be able to read. The education we
are providing them will offer some literacy, but will focus primarily on arts training.
Strong visual books are very helpful. Traditional and modern art materials are all welcome.

Framing Supplies: Apparent has some basic picture framing tools, including a joiner,
a sander, a framing saw, and a professional matt-cutter. Unfortunately, these tools
do us little good right now as we have no materials! Matt Boards would be the
highest priority, but framing wood would be very helpful as well. A professional glass cutter would allow us to be a full service framing operation.

Sculpture/Ceramics: We are interested in exploring the development of a sculpture & ceramics program, if we can find a way to fire clay on our limited electrical supply,
and if we can find skilled potters to help conduct the program. This feels like a long
way off, but maybe you have some ideas?

Sewing Supplies

Fabrics: You may think its ugly, but chances are we can make it work somehow. Even some larger scraps can be used for quilting, children's clothes, or accessories. We
prefer beautiful, new, and large fabrics, but we'll be happy with anything that is usable.

Notions: Buttons, Zippers, embellishments, threads, needles, thimbles, etc.

Sewing Machines: Electricity is sketchy in Haiti, so antique sewing machines are sometimes better than new electric machines. Currently we have 3 electric machines. We would need somebody to collect antique sewing machines at a central storage place, somebody to service them before they are shipped, and somebody to
coordinate and fund the crate shipping. This could be a project for a church or larger team of people. Beyond storage costs, a container shipped to us in Haiti will cost
roughly $15,000 when all is said and done, but if it was full of machines and sewing supplies, it could feed 200 people for life, easily.

Artisan's Workshop Supplies

Work benches & Tables: Hey woodworkers! Want to come down on a short term
service mission and build some tables for our artisans to work on?

Supply Lockers: Hey woodworkers! Did you hear that? We need some supply lockers too! We would also like to build a display case for artisan products on site and
numerous smaller items, such as Easels and chalk boards.

Music & Audio Gear

Instruments/recording equipment: Besides recording soundtracks for our video productions and podcasts, Apparent would like to offer its small audio studio to Haiti's musicians. There are many musicians in Haiti without an opportunity to distribute their music. We don't know how lucrative this market might be, but it doesn't have to cost anything to give them a shot. If you have any "outdated" recording technology, effects
processors, drum machines, or instruments, they could serve a great purpose here. We'd love to have volunteer music teaching teams and individuals come offer lessons
to children and adults on guitar and other instruments, but we need more instruments. Also, Because of illiteracy levels in Haiti, we have talked about hiring literate Haitians
to record an audio Bible that could be distributed on CDs. Blank CD media would
help these efforts.

Video & Photo Supplies

Photo Cameras: We would love to teach photography to our artisans and allow them
to publish their own photobooks. Even mid-range 6 or 7 megapixel point and click
digital cameras would be great for this purpose. Our photo camera, a Nikon D70
needs repair or replacement as well. It still takes great pictures, but gives us a CHG warning frequently, freezing its capacity to capture images. Does anybody know how
to fix this? We'd love to upgrade to a D90 if funds allow someday, but if Haitian
weather is causing the CHG problem, then we need good advice on finding a digital SLR for this climate.

Video Camera: We shoot promotional videos for Haitian missions and service groups using a Canon XL2. We love the camera, but we would love to be able to train others, shoot multiple angles simultaneously, and create HD format film in order to provide opportunities for wider distribution and possible TV-ready production. We are looking
for 2 or 3 Canon HD cameras. Anybody got some laying around?

Wireless mics: We use wired or native microphones in our video production currently because we don't have any wireless mics.

Lighting Setup: Our lighting setup currently includes a reflector/diffuser disc and a couple yellow shop lights like you would use for a construction site. We'd love to have
a basic key, fill, backlight setup for lighting interviews.

DV Tapes: Our video projects usually require 5-10 tapes each. We prefer not to reuse tapes as saving tapes preserves video data and frees up hard drive space, and using new tapes ensures quality for each project

Dance

Mirrors, Bars, & Flooring: There are a surprising number of dance studios in Haiti, providing a small service industry for the bourgeois. Unfortunately, most of these
studios incorporate elements of voodoo with their dance education. If our facility
space allows and we can find instructors suited to the task, we would like to see a
dance program develop at the Apparent Project to round out our approach to the arts and worship. This would probably not be a primary funding source for poor families,
but would offer a means of raising general funds and a way for us to connect the bourgeois to our mission. We would of course need to refurbish a room with all the appropriate tools of the trade.

For Children & Infants

Educational Supplies: Books in French and English at all comprehension levels are helpful for training translators and staff. Childrens books and educational materials in Kreyol are in high demand as well. Montessori supplies (such as wooden color
matching games, sorting tools, etc.) are helpful for the orphanage and workshop
school programs.

Lactose Free Formula: Many babies are lactose intolerant but also don't tolerate soy very well. Lactose free/Soy free formulas such as Similac Sensitive and Enfamil Lactofree are literally life-savers for these babies.

Rice Cereal/dry baby food: This is light and easy to ship and loaded with much
needed vitamins for a baby's basic diet. The packaging also makes it easy to
distribute to moms and dads who need to walk a distance back to their homes from
the Apparent Project facility.

Clothes: Clothing can be given to families to wear, or can be used to kick start a small merchant business.

Durable Toys: Toys go through a beating at orphanages. Durable traditional toys
such as wooden cars & trains are good. Battery powered toys are expensive to
maintain, and often make annoying noises. The more difficult something is to break
and the more creative a child has to be to use it, the better. For regular store bought toys, we recommend playmobil and lego toys.

Kids arts & crafts supplies: Coloring crayons, scissors, glue, construction paper, etc.

Computer Lab Supplies

Desktop computers: We would like to set up a small computer lab to train some of our advanced artisans in the graphic arts, video, and photo editing. We also want to train artisans to post their wares online and maintain their web store. System type does
not matter. Linux systems are cheap and offer quality graphic design software for free, while a Mac or PC offers broader compatibility with industry standard software.
Because of unreliable electricity, we also need battery back-up surge protectors.

Software:We need good training software packages (such as "Professor Teaches")
and standard Graphics & Visual arts software. Adobe design software, such as CS3 would be great, but even rudimentary, cheaper design programs can give a Haitian designer a chance to earn a great income.

Printers & printing supplies: Haiti provides very few opportunities for businesses to
have quality printed materials and graphic design, yet there are certainly businesses that could use this service. Large and small format professional printers and supplies would provide a great opportunity for a small print business. This would also greatly impact literacy development and our ability to produce educational literature and outreach materials.

Micro-Clinic Supplies

Infants/Children's Medications: We are constantly distributing over the counter drugs such as Children's Tylenol, gripe water (i.e. Little Tummies), children's Lactaid,
anti-diarrheal medicine, earache, allergy, and anti-itch medication, chewable vitamins, band-aids, and Children's Pepto Bismol.

Adult Medications: Extra strength Tylenol, Antifungal creams, triple antibiotic ointment, bandages, laxatives, Immodium, Antacids, etc.

Hygiene supplies: Diapers, wipes, tampons, deodorant, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. Not things you want to get confused, but definitely things that Haitian families will
rejoice over!

Vitamins: Pregnant women in Haiti often die in childbirth simply because of iron deficiency or a lack of folic acid. We need adult male, female, prenatal, and children's multi vitamins for malnourished families. Re-Live powder drink mixes are especially
well received.

Facilities

Facilities: Currently the Clays run all Apparent Project activities out of their home in
Port Au Prince, Haiti. Within 2 years we hope to have distinct spaces for the
orphanage, workshop, a small gallery/store, a guest house, and staff living quarters.
The cost of rental for this kind of property is usually $20,00 - $30,000 per year, and Haitian landlords collect rent annually. We need to find the right place at the right price and we need your help to raise the funds to make it happen.

Solar Panels and/or Wind Powered Generator: Fuel burning generator power is loud, toxic, and expensive. We'd love to be done with the noise, the pollution, and the cost
of our gas generator and go green. Estimated cost: $15,000 .

Solar water heater: We'd love to find the best way to build a solar powered water
heater, train some Haitians how to do it, and give them some startup cost to get a business going. Their first project, the Apparent Project facility (which has no hot
water). Commercial solar water heaters are about $10,000 in Haiti. We think it can be done with common plumbing and building supplies for under $800. This would be a great project for a short term team.

Guest House Supplies

Adoptive Family stuff: We would like for our guest house to be the best possible environment for visiting adoptive parents and their adoptees. Quality toys and
children's books would allow adoptive families to play and read together as they
develop their bond. Books and magazines on adoption issues and on Haitian culture would be helpful for adoptive parent guest rooms.

Books for Guests, Teams, & Counselees: With guests coming in to serve and receive prayer and counseling, we hope to provide a casual, restful, and reflective
environment with our retreat center. Bibles are needed in English, French, and Kreyol. Books about Haiti, advocacy, art, art therapy, inner healing, counseling, service, and discipleship would also be helpful.

Shipping

Container & Storage: Gathering and shipping all of the above materials will be a
whole lot easier if we have somebody to recieve the donations, store them and then
load them on a 20 foot or 40 foot container to be shipped to Haiti. Besides the space
to hold the goods while they are collected, this will require about $10,000-$15,000 to
cover shipping and customs costs.