Last month, in celebration of their 10-year anniversary as members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., six line sisters from Florida A&M University took a trip to Haiti to not only celebrate the richness and beauty of the country, but to also give back.
During their five-day trip, the ladies helped to makeover a library in the Leogane community, pick up trash along the shore on the Cote de Arcadins Beach, provide basic first-aid supplies to the Fayette community and provide reusable menstrual pads to women and girls in need.
“Haiti is a country that is under intense media scrutiny,” Kamelah Muhammad tells Because of Them We Can. “But, we knew there is another side to it that people do not see, and so we thought traveling there to celebrate our 10-year anniversary would bring a new kind of lens and awareness to the beauty, culture and history of the country.”
In addition to completing service projects, the ladies of FAMU’s Spring 2009 line also conducted photoshoots throughout their trip to help tell a deeper story about the Caribbean country’s history.
“Each fashion selection was strategically picked to make a connection back to the revolution and pride Haiti embodies,” says Muhammad. “The green swimsuits with the red berets paid homage to the military forces that led Haiti to be the first Black Republic in the Western Hemisphere. The red dresses represented unity, elegance and grace, all attributes of DST and Haiti alike.”
To help further sway the perception that exists about Haiti today, the ladies plan to release a documentary about their trip later this year, which will be done by Tahir Asad of Virtuous Lion Productions, LLC.
Lastly, in partnership with Muhammad’s empowerment nonprofit for women and teen girls called Sisterhood of the Traveling Heart, Inc. and her line sister Anamarie Shreeves’ environmental awareness organization, Fort Negrita, LLC, the ladies of DST plan to continue their efforts of making a difference in Haiti beyond their trip. Through their website, ENT55.com/Haiti, which represents their line name, the ladies are accepting outside donations to help continue their work of providing free medical supplies to the community, reusable menstrual pads and an updated library.