By Marie Marthe Saint Cyr | Executive Director
Working with Haitian women in the rural areas, one meets so many women who are simply remarkable. It may be just a greeting, a word of solidarity, a phrase that tells all but I will not forget 80 years old leader of Women in the Market, a gathering of food merchant who mutually support one another. Fannie seems to be the mother of the large group of women FAMAB. They gather monthly and talk about the needs, the loans, they make payments and plan to outreach to other women with the intent of making a difference in the lives of those they touch.
They are truly first responders when women lost all their inventories when a storm hit or a fire burned down the market place and women ran for their lives leaving all matters of inventories behind, they are there with food, water and with the lambi Fund the possibility to have a short term 2% loan. They sell the basic staples, food stuff they used themselves: rice, beans, corn, toiletries and school materials.theinventory shifts with the most relevant needs
I was honored to be in the meeting held at her house. It was clean to perfection in a dusty neighborhood where the streets paving stopped half way as if the tar production ended. The wind brings dust and the rain brought mud but somehow small houses are kept neat and clean.
One of the youngest women got up and started to thank Fannie effusively. She was in her first year starting a small "Barque" in mutual solidarity where other women of the group have coached her. She was getting emotional and she said "when I did not find a way, I was selling my body just to sleep somewhere at night but that is all over because I now have my own small business and the support of so many of you". She sat down and no one claimed credit. In only a haitian manner they brushed aside telling her you are doing the right thing. Just like that she embraced a new life. What is amazing is that this full turn around to start a new journey was made possible by you, a donor who cared, by Lambi fund working in partnership with the women in Haiti seeking equity and parity; and those who work diligently to reach to young women and assist them to make another progressive step.
We are so grateful for your support and ask you to share our project to put 150 women into their own small business a reality. Thnk You.
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