St. Thomas University Holds Exclusive Sneak Preview of a Documentary Film Highlighting Hope in Three University-Haiti Sustainable Projects
MIAMI GARDENS – The Haitian Heritage Museum will host a V.I.P. fundraising event from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and the exclusive sneak preview of the documentary Blooming Hope: Harvesting Smiles in Port-de-Paix on November 14th 2009 from 7:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. in the Atrium of the Design Building at 4141 NE 2nd Avenue Miami, FL 33137. The documentary chronicles the university’s partnership in three long-term, sustainable development projects in the poorest region of Haiti.
The documentary, “Blooming Hope: Harvesting Smiles in Port-de-Paix” is produced by the St. Thomas University Institute for Communication, Entertainment and Media and Social Media Eagle Productions. The film focuses on a fair-trade coffee cooperative, a women’s artisan initiative, and a solar energy project. The three projects are part of the university’s collaborative work (with Amor en Acción and Catholic Charities of Miami) in the Archdiocese of Miami’s sister diocese relationship with Port-de-Paix, Haiti. The diocese of Port-de-Paix is roughly equivalent to the Northwest Department of Haiti – one of the poorest and most deforested regions in the country.
Featured in the documentary are Haitian individuals who are working on, and whose lives are being concretely impacted by, the collaborative projects. This includes: Elicoeur Beaubrum, a coffee farmer-leader from the town of Ma Wouj, Tata Dumasie, an artisan craftswoman from Jean Rabel, and school children from the remote seaside village of Baie-de-Henne. The film shows the struggles and the promise of the Port-de-Paix community and the process from conception through implementation of these three community-initiated sustainable development projects.
We ask that you assist St. Thomas University in this collaborative effort with the Port-de-Paix community through sponsorship, publicity and fundraising events to support these projects. Current sponsors include The Fresh Market, Granada Printing and Graphics, 97.3 The Coast, and Cu’ture Xclusive. Haiti is the poorest region in the western hemisphere, but it doesn’t have to be. This is an opportunity to walk hand-in-hand with our brothers and sisters in our back yard in a way that leads to authentic development for all. Will you plant a seed?
