Katlin Jackson started Haiti Babi, makers of handmade blankets, after an impactful volunteer trip to Haiti. We spokes with Katlin about her inspiration for the company, the moms who create the beautiful products and the goals of Haiti Babi. Get your very own blanket today on zulily.

What was the inspiration behind starting Haiti Babi?

A trip to Haiti, with my mom, was my inspiration…During my first trip to Haiti, while volunteering at an infant care center and orphanage, I fell in love with a one-year-old boy named Sterly.  As with many of the other children there, Sterly’s parents couldn’t afford a house, food or simple medical care to keep him alive so an orphanage was the only solution. Sadly, Sterly’s story is not uncommon in Haiti. Many of the 500,000 children in Haitian orphanages are put there by parents who simply cannot afford to provide for them.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Haiti, and Sterly, after returning from my first trip to Haiti, so I decided to go back. On my second trip a few months later, Sterly was reunited with his parents and I got to visit him at his family’s home. I was able to experience firsthand the love of Sterly’s family and realized that no parent should have to be without their child simply because they don’t have the money. That day changed my life and I was inspired to give these families a hand up, not a hand out by creating a sustainable solution to this common problem in Haiti. Haiti Babi gives moms jobs, empowering them to be the best moms they can be. Through earning a steady income, Haiti Babi moms can afford to feed their children everyday, live in a safe house, and send their kids to school- breaking the cycle of extreme poverty.

How did you start Haiti Babi?

When I returned home from that second trip I began talking to everyone I knew about this idea of creating jobs for moms in Haiti. I ended up meeting Kari, my co-founder, at a social enterprise start-up weekend in Seattle, which is where Haiti Babi was officially born. Two months later, we were on a plane to Haiti to set up operations. We launched operations in Haiti with three moms and one Haitian manager. A volunteer, Jessica, spent one month in Haiti training our initial team to make the Signature Haiti Babi blanket. There were many people involved in getting Haiti Babi off the ground. Starting a new business is not easy, and working in Haiti is definitely not easy! Many people have volunteered their time and talents to helping Haiti Babi grow- it has truly been a community effort.

Tell us about how these beautiful blankets are made.

All of the Haiti Babi baby blankets are handmade by moms in Haiti. They are made from 100% pima cotton. Many women play a role in making one of our blankets. First, the yarn is wound by Jeannide. Then, Martha makes the main part of the blanket on a manual knitting machine. Next, one of our “crochet moms” (Hernise, Beatrice, Ystania, Florene, or Fabiola) crochets the border around the blanket.  And lastly, Edwije embroiders the three circles in the bottom corner- giving it the signature Haiti Babi look. The blankets are then steamed, packaged, and sent to the US. It takes about one day to make a blanket.

Tell us about the moms that make the blankets.  

How much space do I have?!  There’s so much to tell!  The Haiti Babi moms are some of the most incredible women in Haiti- and hands down the best moms!  For all of these women, Haiti Babi is their first job ever. They have all taken a very courageous step by working at Haiti Babi.  They all have learned new skills, what it means to have a job, and what it feels like to be empowered to take care of your children.  Haiti Babi moms all work hard so they can earn money to send their kids to school- all of their #1 priority. Some moms are now able to build new, safe houses for their families to live in.

These ladies work hard, but have fun, too!  They are always singing and laughing while they are working, and they have developed close friendships with each other. They take a great deal of pride in the blankets they are creating, and love hearing stories (and seeing pictures!) from people who are using the blankets for their babies. It gives them a huge sense of accomplishment and pride to know that they are making something useful and beautiful, and that the blankets they are making will be loved by moms and babies around the world. I have watched each of the Haiti Babi moms change and grow during their time at Haiti Babi- from women who are struggling to survive and care for their children, to fun and feisty proud mamas who are changing their lives and breaking the cycle of extreme poverty for their children. I wish everyone could see this, too- empowerment looks amazing.

What’s the long-term goal of Haiti Babi? What’s next?

The goal of Haiti Babi is to empower moms in Haiti through sustainable employment, and to empower consumers around the world to use their purchasing power in a meaningful way.  To continue to achieve this goal, Haiti Babi needs to grow!  Next steps for Haiti Babi are to hire more moms in Haiti, develop new products to reach more customers, and spread the word about purchases with purpose. We are fundraising to move to a bigger space in Haiti so that we can have room to hire more moms.  We are launching a new product this summer- baby hats.

Why did you decide to work with zulily?

We decided to work with zulily because they really understand and support what we are working on with Haiti Babi. We like to work with retailers who understand that our mission is just as awesome as our product, and that behind each baby blanket is a story. zulily understands that this is more than a baby blanket, it’s a story, and their ability to support and share that story means a lot to Haiti Babi. 

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