Entrepreneurial Spirit in Haiti

Entrepreneur:  "One who launches or manages a business venture, often assuming risks".  

As we rode on our bus from place to place in Haiti, it was fascinating to look out the window.  For one thing, there were usually many people walking along the roadsides, and I was captivated by the ladies skillfully carrying loads on their heads!

In many places, people had set up stands to try to sell whatever they could.  Jeannot told us that since the unemployment rate is so high in Haiti, and people don't want to just sit at home doing nothing, they take whatever they can to the roadsides and set up their own "business".  The Montrouis Project Center information listed "Street Vending and farming" as the main "economic activities", with 80% of the population not having a job.  The Verettes Project Center listed "Plantation Work" as their main economical activity (there is a banana plantation nearby), with 88% unemployment in the area. 

Jeannot told us that most Haitians have a great work ethic, and want to work.  The fathers want to provide for their families.  How sad it is that the economy of the country is so terrible.  Compassion is providing training and education to enable parents and children (in the future) to be better able to run businesses or do the jobs that are available.  As Letty, a Compassion national trainer who was on our tour said, "The opposite of poverty is opportunity".

There were many people selling various kinds of fruit, but we saw many other kinds of business ventures as well.  Here's a combined Haitian Beauty Shop and Dry Cleaner, and be sure to notice the lady striding along carrying a load on her head!

Next, we have a plant nursery ~

Here's a lumber yard...

And a furniture maker!

 An auto parts store....

and a gas station - at least I think that is gasoline in the jugs on the table.  You might also be able to purchase a mattress from these entrepreneurs.

This section was an electronics store, and they had a variety of other things for sale as well.

I loved that you could even buy "Bric a Brac" in Haiti!

Here I believe some men were making and selling charcoal, right along the side of the street.

Here you could buy clothing or possibly a used tire.  The sign above the doorway says "Shop office".

Even at our hotel, I saw some of the entrepreneurial spirit.  Here is an artist selling his paintings.  I purchased one from him (it's wrapped up and tucked under his arm in this photo) and asked if I could take his picture.

And one final photo for this post - a scene that looks almost "Biblical" to me, but it was taken just off the coast of Haiti at our hotel early in the morning.  Two fishermen out hoping for a catch:

I asked the man cleaning the hotel swimming pool what they catching - "Fish" he said.  "Would you like to rent a boat?"  I guess he was an entrepreneur as well!!!