September, Higlighting our Partners Month. We are thrilled about this series. Our partners have been such a crucial part of our survival and growth and we don’t have enough words to express our gratitude towards them for their trust. Most of our long term partners have been there from day one or not too long after that, visiting our workshop in Tabarre, spending time with the artisans and getting to know their stories. Beyond the products, we have shared laughter, good times and memories. Throughout the years we have built strong and lasting relationships. We are so proud of them all and are so in love with their work.
Without waiting longer, here are our first guests, Jean-Paul and Alexa from Bonjou Boutique
Jean- Paul and I met in 2010 and, though our communication was minimal + required some charade playing due to our language barrier - we became friends. In 2011 I (Alexa) had the opportunity to be a part of the formation of Wings of Refuge Inc., a non profit that is giving life to families in Haiti through partnering with locally led movements. Jean Paul was then asked to be a part of the Wings of Refuge Children’s Home team a short time later. For over seven years we served alongside Wings of Refuge Children’s Home and were blessed to be a part of the lives of 32 incredible kids (now mostly young adults - which makes us feel old!). Somewhere along the way we fell in love, got married - though we wouldn’t recommend taking the route we took. We faced many uphill battles as a couple due to our cultural barriers, language barriers, opinions of family, friends and coworkers... but we persevered by God’s grace and a few key people in our lives. In 2019 we made the difficult decision to move stateside and in January 2020 we welcomed our sweet baby boy Jayden into the world. To this day, our family still serves as part of the Wings of Refuge Inc. team here in the states with its impact on our lives being invaluable.
We started dreaming up Bonjou Boutique shortly after we got married in 2017.
We knew we wanted to take some of the generosity friends and family showed us at our wedding and invest it back into our Haiti home. We felt the best way to do that would be through a small business that showcased the beauty that comes from Haiti by partnering with social businesses we personally knew, loved and trusted.
Bonjou means “good morning” in Haitian Creole. It’s the first thing we say to each other when we wake up and we love the sense of light and newness it brings! #bonjoucheri
“We created Bonjou Boutique as a space for you to create change through the purchase of socially responsible and ethically made products from this little island we called home for so long. ”
We had been fans of Haiti Design Co. for years - we shopped there, took teams there (for Mona’s famous breakfast burritos and workshop experiences). As our non profit worked towards reunification, HDC gave two of our kids internships. In 2018 I had the opportunity to work for HDC for about 6 months before our family moved. So, of course, in 2021 when we finally decided to turn Bonjou Boutique from a dream into a reality, we had to partner with HDC when we were designing our original collection.
Our Polo Dopp Kit and Lex Toiletry Bag were some of the first pieces I had the opportunity to collaborate with Chandler and the team at HDC on and to this day they are two of my favorite pieces.
Why is shopping ethically important to you?
Shopping ethically isn’t a magical switch you flip one day, they are daily choices we make knowing there are people behind the products we buy. Start small, do your homework and be intentional.
Other ethical brands we love -
@made_global
@papillonmarketplace
@avanticoffeeco
