Meet the Artists

 

 

 

DENISE 

Early on, Denise was given the nickname, “the sewing machine,” due to her remarkably fast hand stitching skills.  Denise is quiet and determined, and takes incredible pride in her work.  Don’t let her fool you-- she pretends to be much more serious than she is, and we love to “crack” her and see those little shoulders bob up and down as she giggles. 

 
 
 




DORCE 

Very motherly in spirit, Dorce is tender hearted and full of hugs.   She gets so excited when she learns something new in sewing, and loves to show off what she’s accomplished.  Dorce walks with grace and elegance, and trusts deeply in Jesus to care for her needs. 






GERNISE 

Her smile is captivating and her love, overflowing.  Gernise is a gentle and quiet spirit, and an amazing seamstress.  Demonstrated by her willingness to trudge 3 hours to and from work everyday, Gernise is a faithful worker that you would undoubtedly fall in love with if you met her. 

 




 

MARIE MAUDE 

Marie Maude’s last name means “sweetness,” and this word encapsulates who she is. Endearing and lively, Marie Maude is the first to greet anyone new that walks into 3 Cords. Marie Maude is a faithful leader and was quickly promoted to be the first supervisor of 3 Cords because of her honest and faithful character.





NADEGE 

A wonderful seamstress and excellent teacher-- so great that we promoted her to teach the other women!  Nadege is a natural leader, and the other women look up to her and trust her.  Nadege embodies just the perfect balance of sass and grace, and can often be found discussing the meaning of a particular Bible verse.

 

 

 

 

 

NATACHA 

Quiet, positive, and lovely, Natacha makes 3 Cords feel like a home.  Natacha is always giggling and always excited to come to work.  She is so proud to be able to provide for her family and her precious newborn baby.   



 

 

 

STEPHANIA (FAFANE) 

The youngest one of the bunch, Fafane is everyone’s little sister.  Fafane never complains and is always ready to help.  She is determined to work hard in school and at 3 Cords and prays for the opportunity to go to medical school one day.  We believe she can do it. 


 




ELPHINE 

Boisterous and funny, Elphine loves to make others laugh. Elphine is always telling stories and lights up the room with her spunk.







ROSENIE 

Rosenie has a quiet and gentle strength that is beautiful. She pursues the heart of Jesus so beautifully, and you can tell this by the way she loves the other women. Rosenie is a hard worker and fast learner, and never ceases to impress us.






MARY WALNISE 

Though her words are few, every once in a while she bursts out some hilarious story that has the whole room in tears laughing; it’s almost as if she’s been saving it for hours. A bit ornery and a lot hysterical, Mary Walnise adds some serious flavor to the bunch.






SOUN LOVE

Love amazes everyone she meets with her determination to walk through this life on two prosthetic legs with confidence and grace. Love is a fast learner and exceptional seamstress, and loves and is loved deeply by the 3 Cords family.

 

 

                                                                  

 ADELINE                                    

Adeline moved to the deaf community in Leveque on the 20th of February, 2012 and learned about 3 Cords from a friend! Her smile and gentleness make everyone around her at ease. She began working at 3 Cords in August, 2012. Adeline and her sister Jasmine were the first two deaf women to be hired at 3 Cords. Not many work as hard as Jasmine, and while she was originally hired to aid in cutting the patterns, it wasn't long before she proved herself on the sewing machine. Adeline is the mother of five- 4 boys, and 1 girl. She loves watching sign videos of Adele's songs and working at 3 Cords. Sweet Adeline brings gentleness and smiles to everyones day.

 

 

 

 

JASMINE

Jasmine, sister of Adeline, also moved to the deaf community in Leveque in February 2012. Jasmine is the entrepreneur of the bunch. She owns a small boutique in her community where she sews school uniforms on a peddle powered singer machine. Jasmine is truly an amazing seamstress. She attended a sewing school in Port au Prince a few years ago and has continued to pursue her passion for sewing. Her favorite things to sew are clothes and uniforms for her own children- ages 11, 9, and 5. Jasmine brings knowledge and a little spunk to 3 Cords. Communication may not be the easiest between the ladies, but both Jasmine and Adeline are so impressive with their ability to expressive themselves through signs.      

          

MARIE-DENISE

Bio coming soon...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

CHIMENE

Chimene is a hoot. How can you look at her and not smile?! Her sweet ways and loving personality make her especially fun to be around. She currently lives in Cabaret with her mom who is said to make the best pate (Haitian food) around. Chimene loves reading her Bible and taking care of her nephew and his friends. She is a hard worker who is quick to serve others. Chimene keeps us smiling and well fed! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

SANDRA 

Sandra brings a youthful playfulness and fun to 3 Cords. She is one of the youngest 3 Cords employees! After working in the morning at 3 Cords, Sandra attends afternoon school at Mission of Hope. Talk about a hard worker! Sandra really is a gem, who loves singing and reading. She especially loves romance novels. One day she hopes to study psychology at University! With Sandra's work ethic and poise, we have no doubt she will achieve anything she sets her mind to! Sandra is a light at 3 Cords. You will always find her smiling and ready to give a hug. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DARLYNE

Darlyne joined 3 Cords staff in November of 2012 when she moved to the deaf community in Leveque. She is married and has one little girl who is 9 months old. Darlyne went to school in Simnonfere and is a great seamstress. One of her favorite things to do is dance!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DAPHNEE
  
Daphnee moved to the deaf community in Leveque in July. She got her education in Simonfere where there is a large deaf school. This school is where Daphnee learned to sew. Daphnee has one little girl who is 9 months old! She is very excited about working at 3 Cords because she loves to sew and this is her first real job! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 HUDSON

Hudson started working at 3 Cords in November after moving to the deaf community in Leveque. He has been married since 2003 and he used to live in Port au Prince. He learned to sew when he worked on clothes in the Industrial Park. He is so excited to have a job, because when he moved to Leveque he did not know where he would find work. He has two little boys, 7 and 4 years old. He loves them a lot and is so thankful that he can pay for their schooling! Hudson likes to play sports, but he does not like soccer!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GUY
 
Guy moved to the deaf community in Leveque and started working at 3 Cords in November of 2012. He is really excited about working at 3 Cords because now that he has a job he can support his two boys and wife. Guy learned to sew in the Industrial Park making t-shirts. He attended a school for the deaf in Bon Repot. While at school he learned how to make desks, chairs, and closets out of wood! He is a wood artisan who also loves sewing. Guy loves all kinds of sports. His favorite sport is Argentina football, but he has a hard time playing because he lost function of his leg when he was riding a horse and fell! Guy is excited to learn more about sewing and start making 3 Cords tote bags!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
           

JAY AND DIANA CHERRY, Founders and Directors

 Jay and Diana moved to Haiti in September 2009, and started 3 Cords in September of 2010 while working at Mission of Hope with the amputee community.  At the time, Diana was coordinating patient care for the prosthetics lab, and fell in love with the patients who desperately desired work but struggled to find it because of their physical handicap.  Jay and Diana are both passionate about social justice and empowering locals, and they began 3 Cords with the dream of providing real jobs to very talented individuals.  

 

 

REBECCA TROXLER, Director of Sales and Marketing, US

Becca joined 3 Cords in July of 2012, but was really a part of the 3 Cords team long before that.  While interning at Mission of Hope in the Fall of 2011, Becca spent nearly all her free time with the 3 Cords women helping out and loving on the women.  She impressed us all with her ideas that could move the business forward, and clearly shared the vision of empowering Haitian women through providing them with a trade and employing them.  A recent graduate of University of North Carolina, Becca is now seeking out new markets for 3 Cords in the United States as well as managing wholesale and website sales. 

 

 

 

 

 LAURA GASSAWAY, Design and Production Coordinator, Haiti

Laura has a passion for creating sustainable jobs and opportunities for women. After working with an anti-sex trafficking organization for years, Laura felt called to work with the women of 3 Cords. Laura is extremely creative and has an eye for design. She joined the team in January of 2013, and we are so thankful for such a talented and passionate addition. With a degree in International studies and Spanish, Laura enjoys learning about the culture of Haiti and working on her Creole. Laura works daily with the 3 Cords employees and she also manages the 3 Cords store in Haiti, as well as the shipping of products from Haiti to the US.