Delphine Gardère: Why Invest in Haiti Now

In December, Delphine Gardère, CEO of Rhum Barbancourt and HELP board member, eloquently addressed the newest HELP graduates on her belief in Haiti and the young people who can drive change. 

“You may be aware that I was recently given the immense honor of joining the board of directors of HELP, a program I believe strongly in and to which I hope to make a lasting commitment. I believe in it because I have  tested it… not as a student but as an employer. 

Over the last 5 or 6 years, I have hired around ten HELP graduates. All these recruits have been successes, both human and managerial, all without exception. This means that HELP works perfectly on several levels. 

First of all, the program selects its students well because the students demonstrate great values, while being hardworking and ambitious.Without this, no professional success is possible.  

Then, the academic programs are of high quality: the students are well trained and have no technical gaps. 

Finally, the internship and professionalization program allows HELP students to be instantly useful to their employers company, sparing us a long learning curve. 

This brings me to the suggested theme for my speech: Why stay in Haiti when we have the future ahead of us and life is so difficult here? 

I must admit that some days after a bad day, I am discouraged by the negative developments in our country. If this is a difficult subject for me, a business owner, I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for you young graduates. So I will tell you why I, Delphine Gardere, still live in Haiti and maintain hope in the recovery of our country. 

Living in Haiti, at home, has always been my desire. I was born here and I love my country. ...After the economic embargo of the early 1990s, I had the opportunity to study and live in France, the United States and the United Kingdom. I came back to Haiti several times a year and I always wanted to be able to live here one day, even if I was happy abroad and did quite well in my personal and professional life.

In 2017, upon the death of my father, which unfortunately happened very suddenly, I made a choice, that of moving my life and my family to Haiti. In 2017, the country was already not easy but not to the point where we find ourselves today. However, I do not regret this choice because I believe that over the last 6 years I have fulfilled the objectives that I had set for myself, despite the very difficult situation in the country.

My professional objectives were as follows: bring international best practice here, upgrade the brand to make it more international and increase its influence, thus increasing its social and environmental impact.

 These objectives were achieved thanks to an incredible team, 98 percent of whom were trained in Haiti, at CHEMTEC, Canado Technique, Quisqueya University and of course HELP. Without these employees, who received similar training to you, none of this would have been possible. If it is possible to do it on a small scale, it is possible to do it on a national scale, and as you yourself said, to become agents of change in our Haitian society.

For several months, I have spoken with many different people about the Haitian crisis. Do not have any illusions, it is up to us Haitians to find a long-term Haitian solution for our country, it is up to us to be the actors of change. 

To be patriotic today is to believe that together, through work, through education and through will, it is possible for all us to live well in Haiti. 

I want to encourage you to believe in our country, in its history and in its potential for recovery. This potential can only be realized together, even as Haiti is uprooted by the brain drain. Do not choose to abandon our nation.”