Designer flies 12 lucky Haitians to Brooklyn for unique internship

In March, Kristin Hanson flew 12 Haitian women from Jacmel, a historic village in southern Haiti known for its vibrant art culture, to New York where they will get a Metro Card

, an apartment in Park Slope and a three-month intensive internship at her Fine Jewelry School in Tribeca.

“Develop Your Design,” as she has coined the internship program, will teach the women to craft fine jewelry, build their own collection, promote their business and how to work with clients. “At Fine Jewelry School, students leave with refined skills and a body of work ready to sell,” said Hanson.

Kristin Hanson won the Vivmagnificent Award from Vivmag for her humanitarian and entrepreneurial accomplishments.

“It costs $15,000 per person to sponsor these ladies,” she added. “Our goal is to provide these 12 students the skills to teach and build a Fine Jewelry School in Jacmel by 2013.” This is about bringing luxury goods to a country that has traditionally been identified by its status as the poorest country in the world, said Hanson.

This project is only made possible thanks to a partnership with the Aksyon Foundation, an organization devoted to promoting long-term sustainable initiatives in Haiti. In October 2011, Aksyon and the Fine Jewelry School hosted a silent auction to raise money to sponsor the women.

“Kristin is a passionate teacher and pushes us to be creative,” said Naomi Kunimatsu, a current intern from Japan. “She has prepared me well to follow my dreams back home.” When she completes her internship, Kunimatsu will return to Japan with plans to start her own jewelry line.

Our goal is to form a movement for a contemporary Haiti,” said Reginald Canal, gala chairman for Aksyon. The media only shows negative images of Haiti, Canal noted at the silent auction. “We want to change that, to show Haiti is beautiful Fine Jewelry School provides scholarships so international students can learn the art of fine jewelry making and develop their own business model to bring back to their home country.Aksyon is dedicated to identifying and fostering emerging talent so that [Haiti] has the chance to flourish,” said Canal.