Cabarete Spotlight: Kiters 4 Communities
Kiters 4 Communities is a local social business in Cabarete that upcycles unusable kites into cute beach bags. The profits from the bag sales fund projects in the local community to improve prospects for Haitian immigrants.
Many Haitians come to seek a better life in the Dominican Republic. Communities on the westerly side of the island struggled to recover after the 2010 earthquake, and Haiti lacks the infrastructure that can be found in the DR. The Haitian immigrants, however, often find it very difficult to find employment when they get here, as they lack the training and schooling.
Here’s Maxom preparing the kite material for the tailor.
Local initiatives like K4C take the extra time and effort to equip their team with the education they need to thrive in their position. A little basic training transforms the prospects of individuals, and gives them confidence in their abilities.
Team members collect discarded and donated kites, inspect the material and prepare it for the tailor. They are in charge of the day-to-day running of the business, and liaising with retailers who want to buy the bags to sell.
Kiters 4 Communities: The Beginning
Pioneer kiter Laurel Eastman came up with the idea for K4C in 2004. At that time, kiteboarding was really taking off as a sport, but the kiter community was leaving a lot of waste in Cabarete. Laurel started repurposing out-of-use or broken kites into bags, and K4C was born.
Laurel was one of the first professional female kiters around. She has poured her energies into the sport and into improving the lives of others through humanitarian projects in the DR.
Laurel teamed up with Pete Richardson and Soniel, K4C’s genius Haitian tailor, to take her idea to the next level.
K4C Impact
K4C currently supports two schools for Haitian children and a program for providing balanced meals.
In the past, they have funded all sorts of projects to invest in the local community. These include providing free English lessons for local women and building a whole new building as a multi-use community space with the Haitian immigrants.
Their business model really is a win-win-win. The profits improve the prospects of Haitian immigrants. K4C employs and trains locals to run the business, putting money in the local economy and empowering their team. Sturdy kite materials are kept out of landfill and repurposed.
And you get a gorgeous and durable beach bag. Add another win to the list!
Get involved
You can buy their bags in stores around town, including in the LEK kite school.
Alternatively, you can donate through their website and support the amazing work K4C do here in Cabarete and the surrounding area.
The owners take care of all the costs of running the business, so you know every cent you give will go directly to the local communities in need.
Join us next time as we spotlight another organisation that is brightening Cabarete’s future!
