Final Days and Final Thoughts

Every empty space is simply an opportunity :)

Haiti – final days and post-trip thoughts

After culture shock and business seminars and a few mosquito bites, I rounded out my time in Haiti with a trip to dream of more business as well as a snapshot of passionate worship.

First, we took a trip through Martissant and on the way passed on of the largest outdoor markets in Latin America. In Haiti, there are few retail opportunities, so imagine all the goods sold inside of a Walmart or Target instead being sold by individual vendors only inches apart from each other. They pack a lot of people into the equivalent of a city block. There are not really “aisles”, but more of a mentality where “an empty place is a place to sell”. Vendors of all ages, men and women, bus in from various parts of the city as well as the countryside to sell plantains, mangoes, sugarcane, clothes, and pieces of art.  If it gets really crowded, some vendors will set up in the street, blocking 1 lane of traffic, thus slowing down progression of vehicles. This slowdown then prompts additional vendors to come by to all the drivers to offer various goods and “concessions”, similar to a baseball game. Here you can see the “free market” at work, and it is quite a competitive atmosphere.

After passing through this part of Port-au-Prince, we proceeded to one of the micro-business incubators in Martesant. Here we got to see more small businesses that are successful at employing individuals and helping the families of the business owners. The business incubators give training and resources to these owners so that their businesses can have successful impact within their communities.

Beyond that, there is greater vision in Haiti to grow larger businesses, ones that can employ 10’s to 100’s of people. One such example was the solar panel business I described earlier in the week. By bringing in manufacturing business, these greater employment opportunities would have potential to transform whole communities, similar to what the car businesses first did for communities when they moved in to Michigan. There would be potential to require other supporting businesses to surround these manufacturers, both in raw materials as well as services. Restaurants would be established. Pharmacies would sell more conveniences. Print shops and financial firms would also provide support. HPCD (Haitian Partners for Christian Development) hopes to inspire business owners to dream a bit bigger and to ask investors and grant organizations to consider these development projects. It is a compelling argument to say that one decision to develop business in a given area can indeed provide hope and transform a community that once scared away all business due to political unrest within the past 10 years. With security being restored to Haiti, the tide may indeed be turning.

After doing a little bit more work for a growing hospitality business (and a few accompanying milkshakes), Drew decided to organize a leadership seminar/event for the youth within the local church. Drew asked all the Americans (interns and visitors) to give a statement, to share what was on their heart, and to inspire and encourage these young minds. Each of us had a different impact on the community, some as friends, some as mentors, some as advisors, others as demonstrators. We hope that we were able to bless them, but even this would only be a small gift compared to what they could share with us through their worship. There is passionate worship in contemporary rock settings. There is passionate worship in gospel settings. If you take those two setting and fuse them with beautiful voices and passion, you get a sound that is so beautiful to the world. The sounds spills out of the walls, into the streets that need a message of hope and inspiration, to carry forward what has already been done. My pictures are simply visual snapshot of an experience that was ultra-sensory. Hallelujah!

To summarize my experience, I will flatly say that we do not give the country of Haiti enough credit. I was told that their resources were depleted and there was little value that this little country could offer. I have found this to not be true as I see great opportunities in agriculture, fishing, and salt mining. They have an internationally recognized beer and rum (popular souvenirs for travelers). They have a few widely developed cell phone networks that have taken their influence and used it for advancement. And they have a readily available, hungry, and willing workforce.

Our viewpoint that Haiti is weak has hurt the country tremendously. Yes, they needed aid in times after natural disasters. Yes, they needed some international assistance during past political unrest. But the continued existence of organizations that pour in charitable donations is hurting the nation. We are not transitioning the country to self-sufficeincy but rather to further dependency, which goes against all models of sustainability.

The final point is the fact that Haiti is a beautiful country. It resides in the Carribean as an island, sharing land with the Dominican Republic. As such, it literally is just a mountain range that sticks out of the Atlantic Ocean. The mountains are beautiful, the sun shines constantly, and the ocean is very inviting. There is a hopeful spirit among the people, and with effective collaboration, Haiti can be the pearl of Latin America that it was once known for in its history.

For final photos: Gallery