This Sunday is going to be lived fabulously by Fleur de Vie and its founder-designer Dayanne Danier. She’s gathering the Haitian-American community from New York, and surrounding States to draw attention to her biggest cause: the education of children in Haiti.
Above: Fashion designer Dayanne Danier at an event for her organization Fleur de Vie.
Let’s have a discussion with the designer-philanthropist about this event!
Above: Kids in Haiti play at one of the many events planned by Fleur de Vie.
Kreyolicious: So, I think that the last time we talked about Fleur de Vie, it had just been launched. What has the organization been to since then?
That’s so true. Where did the time go? It’s been a little over three years, and yes, we have done so much since then. When we last spoke we had two schools in Port Au Prince and one after-school program in a province outside of Mirebalais. We were just focusing on one program which was the Back to School project. Now, we have added on another school in Port Au Prince and we connected with an organization in St. Marc. We have also started a new program called Reading is Fundamental, which focuses on literacy and teacher training.
Above: The gala being held by Fleur de Vie today, will raise funds for activities like this one.
Kreyolicious: Do you feel you have accomplished all your goals for Fleur de Vie?
DD: We wouldn’t go as far as saying we accomplished all our goals, we are still at the tip of the iceberg. There is still so much that needs to be done when it comes to social education. What we would say is that we are happy with what we have accomplished thus far and definitely committed to continuing. We have touched the lives of many students in Haiti. We are happy to say we haven’t done this alone, we have built great relationships with partners on the ground and our volunteers are more than just volunteers to us now. They are crucial members who strongly believe in our mission and want to see change in their country.
A sample of what attendees can expect at the Fleur de Vie gala at the Alliance Francaise in New York this afternoon.
Kreyolicious: You have an event coming up soon at the French Institute in New York. What has it been like putting this event together behind the scenes?
Yes. We have our La Palette Saisonniere De Chef food tasting fundraiser. This is the second year we are doing this, but on a larger scale. Our focus with this event was to bring the community in the Tri-State area together, and share the work we have been doing over the years. Of course, this is a fundraiser. At the same time, we wanted to do unique events that allow people to want to come out to support a great cause. So we brought together executive chefs, David Destinoble and Lucmann Pierre to create delicious [treats] for our guests. Culinary is a big part of the Haitian culture and sharing the talents of these chefs offers a different view of Haiti to the New York area. We are happy that Mikaben will join us for a performance and the Ambassador Paul Altidor is our special guest. So, there’s a lot of planning that goes into this. It can be a bit stressful. But still easier than planning an event for 600 students. [Winks] My team is great, and we have worked hard to make this a successful event. We are still selling tickets on the website!
Above: Singer Mikaben is scheduled to perform a set, his first appearance since signing with Warner Music France.
Support Fleur de Vie and its founder! The Fleur de Vie event will take place at the French Institute/Alliance Francaise today Sunday, Aug 21. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets and support this fund.
