Day 4: H A I T I
Today’s feature is written by Faby Billy. If you’ve visited our shop in PAP, you’ve probably met Faby. She is the boutique manager and head of fulfillment for Haiti Design Co. Faby was born and raised in Haiti and is proud to represent her culture and the beauty of Haiti with the world.
“Haiti is a beautiful country even if many people don’t get a chance to see the beautiful side of it. When most people talk about Haiti, they always talk about what is bad, they show the bad places, and talk about poverty and how Haiti isn’t safe. But Haiti has many wonderful things to talk about and show to the world.
Haitian culture is vibrant. We have so many celebrations, like carnival and rara on Easter, where you will find people playing every kind of instrument in the streets. We have Patron Saint’s Feast every summer which Haitians return from all over the world to come back for.
Haitian food is unique and full of flavor. Rice, Acra, Patties, Pumpkin soup, and fruits from the Caribbean; the list is endless. Pikliz is a kind of salad that is spicy and can be eaten with many different kinds of foods. You’ll never go to a celebration in Haiti and not find pikliz.
Haiti is the most mountainous island in the Caribbean. There are white sand beaches, waterfalls, coconut trees, rivers, and beautiful landscapes in every region. There are so many places in Haiti that people from all over the world come to see, like Labadee beach, Bassin Bleu or the great Citadel in the north, which is a huge fortress built on a mountain top, and represents another beautiful side to Haiti, which is our history.
Haiti was the first country to be formed from a successful slave rebellion, and if that isn’t something to be proud of, then I don’t know what is.
At Haiti Design Co, we are working to change how the world views Haiti. We work with artisans from all over the country to create beautiful designs and style products that reflect the beauty of our country. It is our hope that when someone purchases one of our products that they would think of Haiti, and not of its poverty and infrastructure, but of its beauty and it’s talented people.”
