“Nobody wants to be a bagger for life.” Poverty Inc. 2017
What are you going to do for the people of Haiti by making shirts down there? Do you really know what the problem is? Hussein from The Printory asked me as we sat down over lunch about a week before my first trip to Haiti in August of 2016. The truth was at that time I didn’t. Yes, I figured we could go down to Haiti and help by providing jobs that paid good wages but I didn’t really understand why that was important when he asked me that questions. He recommended I check out a documentary called “Poverty Inc.” www.povertyinc.org to learn more about why what we were looking to do was important and how we could be more effective at doing it.
Poverty Inc tells several stories from several poverty stricken countries around the world. Haiti in particular is featured in the documentary and one of the stories told is of Shelley Jean and her family. Shelley and her husband went to Haiti in 2007 to look at adopting two children hoping to provide them a better life. Towards the end of the ais a story told adoption process Shelley was asked if she wanted to meet these children’s mother. Mother? They have a mother? What Shelley discovered is a story told by upwards of 80% of orphans in Haiti. Not orphaned by death, but orphaned by poverty as their parents abandon or turn their children to orphanages in hope for a better life. Shelley’s mission then changed from helping two children find a better home and life, to bringing families back together through economic development and living wage job creation in Haiti. Since conception, Papillon has been able to hire over 300 team members who earn 3-4 times local minimum wages and are able to have the economic means to provide and strengthen the familiar structure around them.
Come to find out Shelley’s mission and the one we were becoming a part of in Haiti crossed very closely. In fact screen printing was becoming a bigger and bigger part of what they did for job creation and the shirts they printed were made at LIFE, the same living wage factory we were looking to sew in. As we toured Papillon the first time I noticed the screen printing operation and of course got very interested. I asked if I could show John Claude the main printer some tips as I saw him pushing the squeegee back and forth effectively across the screen many times. It was awesome to see the ahh hah moment in his eyes as I showed him how to effectively push a squeegee with proper angle and press and how to clear the screen on the first pass. Since that first visit we have been back to Papillon three more times working with their team on screen printing processes and skills.
Shelley and her team have taught me so much already about how to make it better and continue to inspire me and the Allmade team. Callie and Ali who help Shelley run operations on the ground in Haiti both left successful careers and opportunities in the US to join Shelley on this adventurous Haitian mission. Their passion and dedication have are not only inspiring but making a true difference in the livers the team and families and communities the dignified wwork they help provide supports.
Screen printed goods is a big opportunity for Papillon to provide more jobs and is one of their most profitable selling items. Their setup however is limiting due to space, equipment and skill and training of the workforce. Seeing a bigger opportunity to create jobs and viability for more people in Haiti, Shelley and her team decided to expand their operation and this year by automating and are looking for someone to help lead the charge with them. If you or someone you know is up for a screen print adventure of a lifetime, this may be a journey you would like to join us on. Help us make it better and make a difference one t-shirt at a time.
Official Job Posting
Screenprinting Manager/ Job Description Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Do you have an adventurous spirit? Have you always wanted to be part of something that makes a difference? Do you love screenprinting? We have the perfect job for you!
Papillon is company with a non-profit and for profit side with a mission to prevent child relinquishment in Haitian families through job training and dignified job employment. We are a socially and ecologically conscious business with a drive to stimulate the Haitian economy by exporting and marketing Haitian artisan goods. We want to educate the international community on how to solve the orphan crisis and how to raise people out of poverty through dignity. Please visit us at papillon-enterprise.com to learn more.
Papillon is expanding their screenprinting facilities in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Our screen printed goods are a top seller and we currently work in a small three room facility with a manual 4 color press and three employees. We do a lot of things the old school way that aren’t necessarily efficient so there is room for improvement and your expertise and direction. Papillon recently completed a brand new building (over 1000 square feet) that we will be moving into so we can increase staff and production. We would like you to be here to make that move with us and set up the new location for efficiency and ease. Papillon will fundraise for the new equipment… think ROQ YOU M 6 Color 10 Pallet Press with built in Smart Probe Flash Unit, 16’ Propane Tunnel Dryer, EVO 12100 Smart Probe Flash, ROQ PRU System and new compressors and generators to make this system amazing system run!
Responsibilities:
Developing Staff and Production:
We have a team of 3 Haitians and need to add more. We will help you find the right people and you will be responsible for developing the best practice for print techniques and ensuring that all press operators are printing top quality. This position requires attention
to detail and a high standard for quality. In addition to on-press activities, this position oversees all of the quality control processes that lead up to and come after printing (screen dept., ink dept., quality control and finishing). We will provide a translator for you to communicate with staff (and many already speak English). Our staff requires patience, guidance and the willingness to mentor as the work culture and ethics in Haiti are quite different than other countries.
You would agree to delegate responsibilities to press operators once they are fully capable, and to provide them with the knowledge necessary to complete their daily tasks. It is also your responsibility to work with other managers to correct problems that are hindering the abilities of your press operators.
As the Screenprinting Consultant, you would ensure all jobs are scheduled appropriately and delivered in a timely fashion. All jobs must be printed by their deadline. The Production Manager should be proactive to make sure no problems will arise that will prevent orders from being completed properly. Sometimes this is a challenge in Haiti (due to no electricity, inefficient wifi, etc.) so we are flexible and do the best we can. In the event that there is a problem, the client and Strategic Team should be notified with adequate time to resolve.
You will need to establish a manual of best practices for all print techniques and applications. This will ensure print results will be consistent and remain high quality. All specifications for production print jobs should be documented in order to maintain the same level of quality and consistency for repeat orders. All production employees must understand their duties and the expectations of quality that they will be held to. It is your responsibility to train all production personnel to be successful in their positions.
In addition to these duties, you are required to maintain a clean work environment. We work with top quality equipment that needs to be maintained properly. You will oversee the maintenance schedule for all production equipment.
Office Duties:
In addition to being hands on and training, overseeing staff you will need to take over the ordering of materials that are shipped via Stateside and coordinate with Allmade Haiti for the t-shirt order each month. You will work with the finace department and Strategic Team on a regular basis to ensure the funds are there and that the quantities are necessary. We don’t sit on a lot of backstock but rather order each month to keep up with production. The Screenprinting Consultant would also be the liason between other departments that make products to screenprint on, private label (custom samples) inquiries and the ability to put a new design into a mockup.
Pay and Stipend:
Our consultants will take home $1000 per month (cash, tax free). In addition you would also be provided room and board close to the facility. We will also show you the hot spots and make sure you have a translator when needed. Our community at Papillon is like family!
Enjoy the Caribbean weather, beautiful beaches and the culture and foods of this amazing island.
Email Your Resume: info@papillon-enterprise.com, alison@papillon-enterprise.com, callie@papillon-enterprise.com
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