Center for Artisitc Training The Center for Artistic Training of Jacmel/CFAJ is a member-directed artists’ cooperative in southern Haiti. CFAJ member artists offer training in a variety of artistic media and coordinate a program for disadvantaged children six days a week. Members and contributing artists participate in an egalitarian workplace where shared responsibility for production and the Center itself is rewarded with inclusion in CFAJ’s marketing and sales. Artists receive 90% of profit from sales of their work through CFAJ, and a 10% fee is reinvested in the cooperative.   Currently, the cooperative has six members, three men and three women. Painting, drawing, papier-mache, embroidery and crochet are their specialties. Nearly thirty children attend sessions either in the morning or the afternoon Monday – Saturday. Members artists and children’s program participants showcase their art in CFAJ’s two showrooms, alongside pieces from contributing artists. Contributing artists include masters in jewelry making and fè de koupe, sculpture made from metal drums.   The first in a series of collaborations was completed in May 2007 when HSDF presented about Haiti to the a class of 5th graders from the nationally recognized Giddens school in Seattle, WA.  The children and teacher Rebecca Norwood took an active role in engaging parents for a materials drive that  produced $85 dollars worth of class room supplies for the CFAJ project.   We will be continuing to work with other schools to raise awareness and raise materials and funds in the goal of funding a nutrition and meal program that will provide one meal a day for the at risk youth that have little or no other resource.  Without this program these children would not have an outlet for their energy and would remain part of the street children population.

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