On Friday, the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti, Ms. Pamela White, met in the premises of the Embassy in Tabarre, a group of 27 women entrepreneurs before their departure for the United States.

These women coming from different regions of Haiti, will travel this month to take courses in Business Management for two weeks at "Thunderbird School of Global Management" in Arizona. This initiative is part of a public-private partnership called "Goldman Sachs 10.000 Women Entrepreneurship Partnership" and the State Department.

The objective of this program is to teach basic skills in entrepreneurship and help participants to develop their businesses. The training will be done with the participation of professors and lecturers who will share their real-world experience on topics such as marketing, leadership, strategy, finance, negotiation, communication and business planning.

Ambassador Pamela White stated that it was a real pleasure for her to join the women as they prepare to live this experience in the United States. She was very pleased that there is a large group of Haitian women to participate in this program: "The promotion of economic and social entrepreneurship is globally an essential element of the international policy of economic development of the U.S. government. Our policy encourages economic growth, job creation, promotion of the civil society and provide new economic opportunities [...]

The United States maintains a market economy, because, as President Obama stated : We know that throughout history, the market has been the most powerful force that the world had ever known for creating opportunities and removing people from poverty. These are words that we should consider when we think of the Haitian economy. This is not a government, a development agency or NGO that will create jobs and increase prosperity, there is no substitute to the market."

This is the first time that the Embassy of the United States allows Haitian women to participate in this program for which more than 400 applications were received.

The 27 women represent the Haitian middle and working classes, and their ages ranged between 20 and 50 years. Twenty-two are from Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, two of Jérémie, while others are from the Ile de la Tortue, Les Cayes and Hinche.

All participants own or are currently joint owners of a company, and manage it : restaurants, hotels, several types of schools, graphic design, catering, cleaning services, bakeries, poultry, nursery, shops,clothing manufacturing companies, bottling of juices, specialty chocolates, footwear and sandals, craft and a business of leasing of trucks.

HL/ HaitiLibre