Nativity Metal Art by Vi Bella

The Vi Bella metal nativity art is made by hand in Croix-des-Bouquets, a small village outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. For years, the Haitian people have made beautiful art out of steel oil drums, turning waste into something beautiful with just a hammer and a chisel.   Vi Bella was started in 2011, shortly after our Founder, Julie Hulstein, traveled to Haiti for the first time to help with relief efforts after a large earthquake devastated much of Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area. She saw many wonderful NGOs providing immediate assistance but saw a greater need for long term, steady employment. She learned that over 80% of the children in Haitian orphanages had at least one living parent who was simply financially unable to provide for the child’s basic needs. If these parents were only able to make a consistent income, they could provide for their children and lead their families out of generational poverty. Vi Bella was born out of Julie’s desire to keep families together a