Doing Business in Haiti
Choosing to make Haiti home is never the obvious or easiest choice. Here are three people that have made Haiti home despite what we may have heard or seen. We have Dr. Daniel Jean-Louis, the current CEO of Parole & Action. Dr. Jean-Louis is a native of Haiti, and currently works and lives in Port-au-Prince, Haiti with his family. Parole & Action is an NGO in Haiti that is working hand in hand to help push Haiti forward. Parole & Action’s main focus is educating our children. Unlike most NGOs, Parole and Action get all of their supplies locally therefore supporting the locale economy. 90% of revenue goes directly to the children; the other 10% goes into the company. Nothing used by this NGO is imported. Due to the structure Dr. Daniel Jean-Louis implemented into this once failing NGO they were recently able to build and support 6 new schools in the south of Haiti.
Currently he has 1 book out called “From Aide to Trade” and working on a second book titled “From Trade to Self-Sustainability. In these two books he takes the primary example of Haiti being an “aide” country and moving it to trade and slowly making Haiti Self- Sustainable. Dr. Jean-louis is also working on the 7th edition of Haiti is definitely too rich to be poor. We have enough to be have an equitable economy and be self- sufficient. Dr. Jean-Louis’ website is dedicated to educating us on different ways we as a whole so we can get out of this negative life cycle that we are in. More information can be found on: www.djlhaiti.com
Another individual who has constantly fought to boost tourism single-handedly in Haiti is Davidson Toussaint. Davidson also currently lives in Haiti. You can catch Davidson in a different country once a month nurturing his brain and nurturing the brain of others on Haiti and all that it has to offer. One part that seems near and dear to his heart is Cap-Haitien. Cap-Haitien is the northern part of the country that is immensely rich in history and culture. Cap-Haitien is mostly famous for “La Citadelle” and “ Palais Sans Souci”. Cap-Haitien is a booming city that attracts the younger generations. I love that Davidson is involved in anything that has to do with bringing light to Haiti and making it Self-Sufficient starting with tourism.
Tourism is and can be a great booster to any country when you have amazing beaches, great weather and people that have big hearts. Tourism can help a failing economy like our own once funds are properly directed and managed. Davidson is affiliated with Sunrise Airways, Parole et Action, and Startup Grind Cap-Haitien just to name a few associations. Davidson is the founder and CEO of Haiti Tourism Inc, a leading Tourism organization in Florida and in Haiti that promotes an innovative and sustainable tourism industry in the Caribbean region which started in 2011. Davidson is a pillar in getting people to visit Haiti and see all its richness. He is also a founding member of Tourism Innovation Summit.
If there’s anything that has to do with positivity and tourism in Haiti, you can bet that Davidsson Toussaint is somewhere there. He can be reached on his site: www.davidsontoussaint.com or via facebook: Davidson Toussaint
This brings me to the third person that has inspired so many women including myself in moving back home to Haiti because Haiti needs us. Without us Haiti will lose itself completely. Daphne “ TiSakSuk” Valmond Bourgoin, returned to Haiti after more than 15 years away because she felt like this is where she needed to be. In 2011 she returned home and started trailblazing a path most people would have abandoned midway but Daphne is no quitter and is a product of a Haitian Army Veteran and God-fearing mother who always had her back in no matter what her endeavors were.
A few years after moving back home she decided to turn her passion into an equitable and profitable trade. Daphne owns a boutique called “ TiSakSuk” which translate to” little bag of sugar” where she sells only locally made products such as “Kremas, and Mamba” and has her own clothing/ accessory line that is made and created in her own workshop here in Carrefour. There have been times where she has wanted to pack up and go back to the comfort of Tampa, FL, but she stays because she has hope in Haiti. TiSakSuk currently has 15 full-time employees; that’s 15 families that have an opportunity to turn their craft into a way to honestly support their family. She has faith that she will leave a better place for her children and their generation. Small businesses like “TiSakSuk” are a major contributor to our economy especially like this one because, their employees can work to pay taxes, the business itself pays taxes and these taxes go back into Haiti. Follow her on Tisaksuk on Facebook and Instagram. She is currently working on her website as well as other projects. She can be reached via social media and Email.
Haiti is not perfect or pretty but that’s where the heart is; we belong where the heart is.
Damourude Lazarre