From Haiti ... Milk Jug Helicopter


Haiti is an Indian word that means “high ground.” It is the most mountainous country in the Caribbean. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere, so people there use whatever resources they can find to make money. Children from Haiti make these milk jug helicoptors as a way to make money to help their families. They sell them to the tourists who visit their country.

Since there is a visible presence of things like army helicopters and tanks in Haiti, it is only natural that the children copy in their toys what they see in their community. They make these toys by tearing apart plastic milk containers and fashioning them in creative shapes such as the helicopter you see here. They paint them in camoflauge colors just like the military versions. The process of making this toy is so complicated that we are not going to give instructions. We wanted to show you how intricate and complicated a toy can be. We salute the children of Haiti!

If you know any additional information abut this toy or have a toy you've made or seen made please contact us!
info@worldplay.org We'd love to hear from you.

Photo taken by Rick Strebe copyright 1997,1998