Paulna P. P. Etienne

I graduated with a degree in hospitality management in 1995, but it was another eight years before I felt the Haitian economy was strong enough to allow me to set up my dream business – Himalaya Produits Naturels, showcasing the best of Haiti.“I remember the moment when I realized that Haiti had been given all the natural tools necessary to survive. Those tools were our wonderful food products – everything from jam, jelly and peanut butter to tamarind juice, cocoa rum and crémas. It’s a treasure trove.

I buy my basic ingredients from agriculture producers and repackages and resells them under the Himalaya brand through a network of some 20 supermarkets and sometimes directly in the form of attractive gift baskets which have proved hugely popular.

Twenty-five women in the north, for example, are charged with buying and preparing coffee, cacao, and fruits. In the Central region, another team of ten is responsible for buying, peeling, and sending on tamarinds. As the hand-picked products arrive, I orchestrated the entire enterprise.

The business doesn’t stop there. After being chosen as a 2012 finalist in an entrepreneurship competition run by the American Embassy, which included a 15-day seminar at the University of Arizona, I have also decided to start my own line of natural clothing. To ensure that I do not have a single moment of spare time, I have opened a restaurant and catering unit – to promote my uniquely Haitian products.