Amar is the Director of Giving Operations at TOMS. A large part of his job has been overseeing TOMS’ local manufacturing efforts, including the set-up and opening of the TOMS factory in Haiti. Since our commitment to produce 1/3 of our Giving Shoes locally, Amar has traveled to nearly all of our manufacturing sites to help them stay on track and improve operations. He recently returned from his second trip to Haiti, and was eager to share the progress we’ve made together…
According to the World Bank, Haiti is the least developed country in the Western Hemisphere, with over half of its population living under the poverty line. But there is another side of Haiti that many don’t get the opportunity to see or experience. That side is what makes many — like my colleagues at TOMS and myself — fall in love with Haiti.
Haitians embody the word “perseverance.” No matter what happened in the past, people will continually have faith that tomorrow will be a better day…and they strive to achieve that. The country and people are vibrant. There are unbelievable organizations like TOMS Giving Partners IMA World Health and Partners In Health who couple our shoes with medical distributions and education opportunities to help provide incentive for those to live healthier lives and stay in school. Local artisans and business are popping up, like Caribbean Craft, where local artisans create vibrant papier-mâché products all while playing music, laughing and joking with one another.