Cange Art Center assists recent amputees

Clairnite, who lost her arm in the January 12 earthquake, was one of the first recipients of the special bag designed and produced bt the Center d'Art in Cange.

With thousands of life-saving amputations performed following the January 12 earthquake, Partners In Health (PIH), Zanmi Lasante (ZL) and its community partners are working to find ways to accommodate the many people who are now adjusting to life in radically altered bodies.

The women at Center d’Art, located in Cange in the Haiti’s Central Plateau, are working on one way to help earthquake survivors recovering from arm amputations. The group has begun sewing shoulder bags with large pouches designed for easy one-armed access. The bags are also handy for patients currently on crutches, said Jackie Williams, who helps to run the Center d’Art.

The group is made up of about 30 women, who craft a range of products, including rugs, pottery, and other art works. The products are sold in Cange, as well as at several churches in South Carolina, where Jackie is originally from. The proceeds help the women in the group support their families.

However, these shoulder bags, the brainchild of Gillaine Warne of Zanmi Agrikol (ZL's agricultural sister program), are a labor of love.

“Our regular workers are making the bags, anyone who is available,” said Williams, explaining that the group members made the shoulder bags on a volunteer basis addition to their regular jobs. “We've given out just four so far. Almost all our materials are donated.”

This project is just one of many that will be needed in the coming months and years to help amputees recover and go on with their lives following the earthquake.

Center d’Art is affiliated with Partners In Health and Cange’s Bon Sauveur Parish Church.