Jan 14, 2010 - 04:50 PM

By Reka Szekely

Comments (0)

AJAX -- An Ajax business owner who works with a village in Haiti is switching her focus to emergency help after an earthquake devastated the country.

Angie Draskovic is the founder and president of Zoe Alliance, a company that sells gift items made in impoverished villages. The company pays the people who craft the items a fair wage and also puts 10 per cent from each item back into the community. The business relationship encourages economic development in the villages, including Bois de Lance in northern Haiti where local artists create a handmade wooden game called Ti Ta To 10.

However, in the wake of the recent earthquake that rocked the country, she's switching gears and appealing for donations to Open Door Haiti, the non-profit organization she works with.

"The business I'm engaged in is kind of a subordinate priority," said Ms. Draskovic.

Bois de Lance is in the northern part of the country and was not physically damaged by the earthquake, but its impact will still be felt in the community.

"Because all of the supplies that are imported into Haiti are imported into the south and the road infrastructure has been totally obliterated, the main impact is complete lack of food, water and gas," she said.

Ms. Draskovic said the north has similarly been impacted when the south was hit by hurricanes and the result was inflated prices for the necessities of life. Open Doors Haiti is primarily collecting monetary donations right now because they don't have the capacity to ship supplies into the country. The money will go to helping maintain local Open Door programs.

"There will be huge scarcity and the compound they have actually has a school and they have a feeding program for children," said Ms. Draskovic. "They will be under great stress for access to rice and legumes and proteins."

Beyond that, there is a need in Haiti not just for aid, but long-term economic development.

"They need a sustainable, smart economic development initiative that insulates them from constantly being subject to these devastating circumstances," said Ms. Draskovic, citing buildings made with machine-pressed concrete blocks that could better withstand natural disasters as one possible outcome.

She said if North American spent just 10 per cent of what they spend on gifts each year on products made in developing countries, it would result in $85 billion of economic development.

To donate to Open Door Haiti, visit canadahelps.org, write "Canadian Centre for World Mission" in the search box and then select Angie Draskovic/Zoe Alliance as the fund/designation.